Acute food insecurity

A recently released UN report has sounded the alarm on the acute food insecurity in Pakistan, predicting that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming months if the economic and political crisis deepens. The report, jointly published by FAO and WFP, highlights that mounting public debt and the ongoing financial crisis in the country as the key factor. With the country having to repay a substantial external debt, the strain on the economy is immense, making reformation and recovery a formidable task.

Political instability and lagging reforms, coupled with a shortage of forex reserves and a depreciating currency, have severely limited the country’s ability to import essential food items and energy supplies, leading to skyrocketing prices and nationwide energy cuts. Adding to these challenges is the aftermath of the 2022 floods, which caused significant damage and economic losses to the agriculture sector. While on the one hand, local production has dwindled and finances are slim to curtail shortages through import, on the other hand the declining purchasing power of citizens has further reduced the ability to buy food items at inflationary rates. Food insecurity is a wicked crisis that must be tackled on multiple fronts. It is of utmost importance to initiate capacity building measures for national and provincial disaster management authorities to incorporate forecast and risk assessment into their disaster management plans. This can help mitigate the impact of future disasters and enhance preparedness.

The government must take immediate steps to address the acute food insecurity crisis. This requires a comprehensive approach that combines short-term emergency relief measures with long-term strategies to enhance agricultural productivity, improve infrastructure and promote economic stability. Support from the global community is equally vital. Pakistan cannot become another Somalia or Sudan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2023.

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