Pakistan's hunger crisis

Reducing hunger is possible if required political will exists to prioritize food security

Pakistan's food insecurity crisis is a stark warning about the consequences of extreme weather, economic hardship and inadequate protection for vulnerable households. Although climate change is intensifying these pressures, persistent hunger cannot be explained by weather alone. Poverty, inflation, displacement, insecurity and weaknesses in agricultural and food-distribution systems all shape who can afford food and who goes hungry.

The latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an international initiative that monitors food insecurity, covered 45 vulnerable rural districts across Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with a combined population of approximately 35.6 million. Drawing on household survey findings and other data, the IPC estimated that 7.5 million people in these areas faced acute food insecurity between December 2025 and March 2026, including approximately 1.25 million experiencing emergency conditions. The assessment identified the lingering effects of the 2025 monsoon floods, prolonged drought and dry spells, and localised insecurity as key contributing factors.

Food insecurity is particularly concerning in areas already affected by insecurity and political grievances. In parts of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the IPC identifies localised conflict alongside climate-related shocks as a factor undermining livelihoods and access to food. Although hunger does not automatically lead to unrest, the combination of economic deprivation, disrupted livelihoods and insecurity can exacerbate existing grievances and deepen communities' distrust of the state.

Pakistan's experience also demonstrates the devastating effects of climate-related disasters. The devastating 2010 and 2025 floods caused massive damage and economic losses, undermining livelihoods and disrupting food supplies. The unprecedent scale of these losses highlighted how extreme weather can threaten not only immediate food availability but also the longer-term ability of families to earn an income and recover from shocks. Pakistan is now experiencing the effects of El Niño, with significantly below-average monsoon rainfall across much of Sindh and southern Punjab. Combined with irrigational water shortages, these conditions are expected to reduce crop production and agricultural incomes, further worsening food insecurity among poorer rural households

Yet, climate disasters need not inevitably produce hunger. Their effects depend on public preparedness, social protection and households' ability to recover. Pakistan's persistent nutritional challenges underscore the importance of addressing structural deprivation. The World Food Programme estimates that 40% of Pakistani children under five experience stunting, reflecting chronic undernutrition and public-health problems that extend beyond immediate food emergencies.

Reducing hunger is possible if the required political will exists to prioritise food security. Brazil's previous socialist government, for example, drastically reduced hunger through a combination of cash transfers, expanded school meals and public food-purchasing programmes which supported smallholder farmers, while strengthening local food supplies. Such policies contributed to Brazil's exit from the FAO's Hunger Map in 2025.

Pakistan itself needs to set aside subsidies and price incentives that encourage water-intensive cultivation of crops such as rice and sugar. It needs to support smaller farmers to diversify into crops better suited to local conditions. Our policymakers also need to pay more attention to providing better social protection and food assistance, which can reach marginalised communities more effectively, particularly in remote and conflict-affected districts.

Without stronger political commitment, more equitable social protection, effective institutions and resilient agricultural systems, extreme weather and economic hardship will continue to push Pakistan's most vulnerable households into hunger.