Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio plans to expand food assistance programs for needy children as part of a comprehensive economic package to be put together this month.

Kishida held a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday with a non-profit organization that provides assistance for children of families in financial difficulty.

Attendees said many children are unable to have proper meals due to rising food prices.

After the meeting, Kishida told reporters he felt the need to take action to deal with the situation. He said he plans to provide assistance for children of families that are directly impacted by surging prices.

Kishida said the government will expand programs to assist 'food banks' that supply foodstuffs to cafeterias for children, where kids from poor families can receive free or low-priced food served by volunteers.

He also plans to raise the limit of state subsidies for efforts by municipalities to reduce child poverty, and launch a project to set up programs to ensure that children in need stay socially connected.