Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children younger than 2 will be provided with free food packages as part of the Health Services and Social Assistance Project from an additional grant offered by the World Bank in response to the world food crisis. The first packages started to be shared out in Orhei today, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a communiqués, the Ministry of Health says that about 7,000 pregnant and nursing mothers and over 10,000 children younger than 2 will benefit from food packages. The initiative aims to prevent malnutrition among vulnerable persons when there is an economic and financial crisis. The packages contain rice, buckwheat, cereals, meat cans, sunflower oil and special meat purées for children. Each package contains leaflets with useful information about correct nutrition for mothers. Every beneficiary will receive by three food packages. The aid is intended for children that are late developers owing to undernourishment, children that suffer from anemia or have certain deficiencies, pregnant women who have anemia or show signs that the fetus develops tardily, HIV-infected and lone mothers, mothers with three children and more that earn less than 500 lei per family member. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, the Ministry of Local Public Administration and UNICEF Moldova. The food packages are distributed by the District Commissions for Humanitarian Aid.