Food insecurity increases Pakistan's woes

Pakistan has failed to lift itself out of poverty with the Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking it 92nd out of 116 nations and with a score of 24.7. The country's level of hunger is categorised as 'serious'.

Pakistan has failed to lift itself out of poverty with the Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking it 92nd out of 116 nations and with a score of 24.7. The country's level of hunger is categorized as 'serious'. According to Dawn, Pakistan has been able to bring the proportion of the undernourished population down to 12.9 percent from 21.1 percent in 2000 but still faces problems related to malnourishment.

The Global Hunger Index comprises four indicators including undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and under-five mortality rate. The report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe on global hunger, mentions: "As the year 2030 draws closer, achievement of the world's commitment to Zero Hunger is tragically distant".

Further, over the last three years, Pakistan's double-digit food price inflation, along with dwindling income, has left more Pakistanis food insecure, according to Dawn. On the other hand, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that approximately 43 percent of Pakistanis are food insecure and 18 percent of those have acute food insecurity. The WFP contends that affordability is the "greatest barrier in achieving a nutritious diet," estimating that the majority of Pakistanis are incapable of affording nutritionally acceptable food.