Pakistan is facing a serious food security and malnutrition challenge as rising living costs, economic pressures and climate-related disasters make it increasingly difficult for vulnerable families to access sufficient and nutritious food.
A report released on October 14, 2026, under the Global Hunger Index (GHI) has once again highlighted the country’s continuing struggle to reduce hunger. Pakistan recorded a GHI score of 25.5 and ranked 106th among 122 countries assessed, placing it in the category of serious hunger. The findings underline the need for stronger efforts to improve food access, child nutrition and household economic security.
Millions of Pakistanis Face Food Insecurity
Food insecurity occurs when people cannot reliably obtain enough safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy life. In Pakistan, the problem affects vulnerable households whose incomes are insufficient to cover food, housing, healthcare and other essential expenses.
According to the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, approximately 11 million people in Pakistan experienced acute food insecurity in 2025. Of these, around 9.3 million were classified in the crisis category and 1.7 million in the more severe emergency category.
These figures reflect people facing serious difficulties in obtaining adequate food. They do not mean that every affected person is experiencing famine, but they demonstrate the scale of the challenge.
For low-income families, even small increases in the prices of flour, cooking oil, vegetables, milk and other essentials can force difficult decisions about the quantity and quality of food they purchase.
Rising Food Prices Put Pressure on Household Budgets
One of the major challenges facing Pakistani households is the rising cost of living. When food prices increase faster than household incomes, families have less money available to purchase balanced meals.
Some households may respond by buying cheaper foods, reducing portion sizes or cutting back on more nutritious items such as fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy products and meat.
These adjustments can have serious consequences for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and older people, whose nutritional needs may be greater.
The impact is particularly significant for daily-wage workers and families whose earnings fluctuate from one week to another. Without savings or reliable support, they can struggle to manage unexpected expenses alongside the cost of food.
Climate Change and Flooding Affect Food Production
Pakistan’s food security is closely connected to agriculture, which supports rural livelihoods and contributes significantly to the national economy.
Floods, droughts, unusually heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures can damage crops, reduce harvests and disrupt the livelihoods of farmers and agricultural workers.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported in February 2026 that approximately 7.5 million people across 45 assessed rural districts were facing crisis-level acute food insecurity or worse between December 2025 and March 2026. The assessment linked the situation to the effects of the 2025 monsoon floods, prolonged dry conditions and localised insecurity.
Agricultural losses can affect not only farmers but also consumers. When production falls or transportation and supply chains are disrupted, food availability and prices can come under pressure.
Supporting farmers with climate-resilient crops, reliable irrigation, improved storage facilities and timely weather information could help reduce these risks.
Child Malnutrition Remains a Major Concern
Hunger is not simply a question of having enough food. The nutritional quality of a person’s diet is equally important.
Children who do not receive sufficient nutrients may experience stunted growth, wasting, weakened immunity and difficulties with learning and development.
The 2026 Global Hunger Index report estimated that 33.6 percent of children under five in Pakistan were affected by stunting, while 9.8 percent experienced wasting. These indicators demonstrate the continuing burden of childhood malnutrition.
Stunting refers to low height for a child’s age and is generally associated with prolonged nutritional deprivation and other health-related factors. Wasting refers to low weight relative to height and may indicate acute malnutrition.
Addressing these problems requires access to nutritious food, maternal healthcare, safe drinking water, sanitation and appropriate healthcare services for children.
Rural Communities Face Additional Challenges
Food insecurity can be particularly difficult in rural communities where families depend on farming, livestock or seasonal employment.
A poor harvest can reduce both the food available to a household and the income needed to purchase other essentials. Families with limited access to healthcare, transport and markets may also find it harder to obtain nutritious food.
In areas affected by drought or flooding, damage to roads, crops and local infrastructure can further complicate access to markets and essential services.
Targeted assistance for vulnerable rural households, alongside investment in agriculture and local infrastructure, can help communities become more resilient to future shocks.
What Is Being Done to Address Malnutrition?
Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research has been working with development partners to strengthen nutrition programmes and improve access to fortified foods.
In August 2026, the ministry reported discussions on expanding food fortification, improving maternal and child nutrition, and strengthening the nutritional quality of commonly consumed foods, including wheat flour, edible oil and ghee. The discussions also covered micronutrient supplementation and coordination between federal and provincial authorities.
Food fortification involves adding essential vitamins or minerals to commonly consumed foods. When implemented effectively, it can help address certain nutrient deficiencies across large populations.
However, these programmes need to be supported by affordable food, effective public health services, reliable monitoring and targeted assistance for families facing the greatest difficulties.
Practical Steps to Reduce Hunger in Pakistan
Experts and policymakers can help address food insecurity through a combination of immediate assistance and long-term reforms.
Key priorities include:
- Support low-income households: Strengthen targeted assistance for families unable to afford essential food.
- Improve agricultural resilience: Invest in irrigation, climate-resilient farming, crop protection and better storage.
- Expand child nutrition services: Improve screening, treatment and nutritional support for children suffering from malnutrition.
- Make nutritious food more accessible: Strengthen supply chains and reduce avoidable losses between farms, markets and consumers.
- Improve maternal nutrition: Ensure pregnant and breastfeeding women can access nutritious food and appropriate healthcare.
- Strengthen food fortification: Improve the quality and coverage of fortified staple foods.
- Monitor vulnerable communities: Use reliable food security assessments to identify where support is needed most.
These measures can help address both the immediate effects of hunger and the underlying conditions that make families vulnerable to food insecurity.
Conclusion
Hunger and malnutrition remain serious challenges for Pakistan, affecting household wellbeing, children’s development and the country’s long-term economic potential.
Recent food security assessments highlight the combined effects of economic pressures, climate-related disasters and limited access to nutritious diets. While government programmes and humanitarian assistance can provide important support, sustained progress will require coordinated action across agriculture, healthcare, social protection and economic policy.
Ensuring that every family can afford sufficient and nutritious food is essential to building a healthier and more resilient Pakistan.
Sources: Global Hunger Index 2026, the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
