Pakistan's Food Crisis Deepens: 7.5 Million Face Acute Hunger

The data showcases that too many households cannot meet basic food needs without using harmful coping strategies. The survey covers selected rural districts in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and not the whole country and is waiting for formal provincial endorsement, an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily Dawn detailed.

It mentioned that residual damage from the 2025 monsoon floods, prolonged drought and dry spells and localised insecurity have impacted farm and pastoral incomes in Pakistan. Lean-season dynamics, high wheat flour prices, expensive fuel and transport and heavy dependence on markets affects buying power. Many families have reported increasing debt. Water shortage, crop disease and pricey inputs resulting in limited production. Trade disruptions and insecurity further increase the problem in border districts in Pakistan.

A modest easing is expected after the wheat harvest and seasonal livestock sales as 6.7 million people are expected to face 'crisis' or worse between April-September. The Dawn editorial indicates that in Pakistan, access is the binding constraint and not the availability.

Last month, a report highlighted that Pakistan is struggling to afford food and education. A 20-year comparison of household consumption in Pakistan showcases a structural reallocation of funds towards fixing living costs instead of spending it on food, revealed a new poll released by Gallup Pakistan.

Data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) reveals that the share of money spent by households on food reduced from 43 per cent to 37 per cent between 2005 and 2025. During the same period, housing and utilities have increased from 15 per cent to a quarter of household budgets, an editorial in 'The News International' mentioned.

"Gallup analysis finds that, when viewed alongside weaker real incomes and evidence of declining food quantities, this trend likely reflects households cutting back on food consumption to cope with rising fixed expenses, like housing and utilities, rather than food becoming more affordable. This is also not the only analysis to find that Pakistanis are cutting back on food," it highlighted.

The HIES 2024-25 survey revealed that people facing moderate-to-severe food insecurity had increased from one in six to one in four between 2018-19 and 2024-25, making it harder for residents of Pakistan to survive in the present and the prospects for future also do not look bright.

"According to the Institute of Social and Policy Science (I-SAP)'s 15th annual report on 'Public Financing of Education' families are now bearing the majority of spending on education; a first in the nation's history. Of the Rs 5.03 trillion total cost of education, household spending accounts for Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 2.8 trillion while the public sector pitches in PKR 2.23 trillion," the editorial in The News International stated.

The household spending comprises Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1.31 trillion spent on paying private school fees, PKR 613 billion on tuition and shadow education and PKR 878 billion in other expenses. The disparity comes amid people preferring private education system for their children and major issues related to the adequacy of the public education system.

- IANS