Islamabad [Pakistan], April 25 (ANI): Pakistan remains among the world’s most food-insecure countries, with millions unable to secure basic nutrition, the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises shows.
The report ranks Pakistan among ten countries experiencing the most severe acute hunger, alongside Afghanistan, Sudan and Yemen, Dawn reported. Nearly 11 million people in Pakistan suffered acute food insecurity in 2025. About 9.3 million were classed in the “crisis” category, while 1.7 million were in the more severe “emergency” phase — one step below famine on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale.
A mix of economic vulnerability and worsening climate shocks is driving the crisis. Last year’s intense monsoon rains and flash floods affected more than six million people, destroying crops and damaging critical infrastructure in already vulnerable areas. Although some reductions occurred in the numbers facing the worst hunger levels, those gains are fragile; rising inflation—projected at about 6 percent—and continued environmental stress risk reversing progress.
The report flags serious nutrition problems, particularly in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, but Pakistan lacks up-to-date nutrition data and is listed among countries with incomplete nutrition classification. Persistent structural risks — limited healthcare access, unsafe water and poor diets — compound the problem. Pakistan also hosts large displaced populations, including Afghan refugees, which further strains resources, Dawn noted.
Part of the apparent increase in food insecurity reflects expanded data coverage: the assessment now covers 68 districts, up from 43, raising population coverage from 16 to 21 percent and bringing more affected communities into the analysis, complicating year-to-year comparisons, Dawn reported. (ANI)
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