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Pakistan Ranked Among Ten Countries Facing Most Severe Food Crises, Action Against Hunger Report Shows

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Pakistan Ranked Among Ten Countries Facing Most Severe Food Crises, Action Against Hunger Report Shows
Photo: Pakistan, Bangladesh among 10 worst hunger-hit countries: Which other nations are on the list?(Image complied using AI) ( Reuters. )

Action Against Hunger’s report "Ten Largest Global Food Crises," released ahead of World Food Day, lists Pakistan as one of the ten countries experiencing the world’s most severe food crises. The report estimates that 10.6 million people in Pakistan will need humanitarian assistance in 2026. It also names Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Bangladesh, South Sudan, and Syria as part of the group. Globally, about 177 million people live in these ten countries, where acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, affecting roughly 266 million people across 47 countries.

In Pakistan, rising food prices, higher living costs, unemployment, falling household incomes and economic instability have weakened families’ ability to afford essential food, according to ANI. Unfavourable agricultural prices have further undermined livelihoods, leaving low‑income households especially vulnerable. As humanitarian funding falls short of growing needs, families are increasingly resorting to distress measures such as cutting meals, selling productive assets and withdrawing children from school to cope with financial pressures. These measures may provide temporary relief but risk deepening poverty, worsening malnutrition and disrupting children’s education, and can leave households less able to withstand future economic and environmental shocks.

The crisis is compounded by inadequate access to healthcare, nutrition programmes, clean drinking water, sanitation and social protection, particularly in rural and disaster‑affected areas, Dawn reported. Climate change remains a major threat to Pakistan’s food security. Repeated floods, droughts, heatwaves, glacial lake outburst floods and unpredictable monsoon rainfall have damaged infrastructure, reduced agricultural output and disrupted livestock‑based livelihoods, according to Dawn. These recurring disasters place additional pressure on already vulnerable communities.

Pakistan ranked 106th among 122 countries in the 2026 Global Hunger Index, scoring 25.5 and falling in the “serious” hunger category. The report, published by Welthungerhilfe, Ruhr University Bochum’s institute and Helvetas, flagged worsening food insecurity driven by economic instability, climate shocks and global conflicts, Dawn reported.

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