Over one crore people may be affected by severe food insecurity in Pakistan, UN report

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a United Nations agency, in its most recent report, states that extreme food insecurity (hunger) continued in Pakistan from November 2024 to March 2025. The report indicates that approximately 11 million individuals can expect to encounter this issue. This was provided in Sunday's news in the Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn'.

According to FAO's 'Global Report on Food Crisis-2025', 22 percent of the population of 68 rural districts of Pakistan may face severe food crisis. This includes especially flood-affected Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of this, 17 lakh people are in emergency situation. The report states that when the hunger situation was surveyed in 2024, 3.67 crore people were included in it. But in 2025, 5.08 crore people were included in it. 25 more districts were included in it. The report also states that extreme weather conditions (such as floods, droughts) will affect people's livelihoods. However, the situation will be somewhat better than last year.

Between 2023 and 2024, about 1.18 crore people in Pakistan were suffering from severe food insecurity, which was the peak of 2024 and it remained the same as in 2023. From 2018 to the beginning of 2024, cases of severe malnutrition remained at a consistently high level in Balochistan and Sindh. The level of global acute malnutrition (GAM) was above 10% in many districts and more than 30% in some. Access to nutrition services also remained limited due to lack of adequate funding. Climate disasters and severe food crises in 2025 could worsen the already serious situation of malnutrition.

According to the report, in the winter of 2023-24 (from November 2023 to January 2024), 11.8 million people were suffering from acute food insecurity, of which 22 lakh people were in 'emergency' situation. Between March 2023 and January 2024, 21 lakh children between 6 months and 5 years faced malnutrition. The food available to children was low in both quality and quantity. This situation worsens in winter when food prices increase and access to markets decreases.

Malnutrition was also high among pregnant and lactating women, leading to a higher incidence of low birth weight babies, especially in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Diarrhea, respiratory disease and malaria cases increased during winter. Clean water and toilet facilities have also decreased after floods. Access to health services remained hindered in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Road closures and low health awareness were the main reasons. Also, lack of funding has worsened the condition of nutrition services. The report warns that the climate crisis and food shortages could worsen already severe malnutrition in 2025.