Pakistan faces South Asia’s worst hunger crisis, report finds

Pakistan has recorded the highest hunger score in South Asia, as economic instability, rising food prices and climate-related disasters continue to threaten food security, according to the 2026 Global Hunger Index released on Wednesday.

The report, published jointly by international organisations, highlights a slowdown in efforts to combat hunger across South Asia. Pakistan and Afghanistan have experienced deteriorating conditions since 2018, raising concerns about access to affordable and nutritious food.

In Pakistan, persistent economic challenges and sharp increases in food prices have weakened household purchasing power. Many families are struggling to afford essential food items, while rising living costs continue to limit their access to adequate nutrition. The country’s undernourishment level has also increased from low to medium since 2018, while child wasting has moved closer to the high-severity threshold.

South Asia remains in the serious hunger category, with a regional score of 23.5. Although the region has made progress since 2000, when its score stood at 37.5, most of the improvement occurred before 2018. The latest findings indicate that efforts to reduce hunger have lost momentum in recent years.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have both moved out of the alarming hunger category recorded in 2000. However, child stunting remains a major concern in both countries. Pakistan has continued to reduce its stunting rate, while Afghanistan has experienced a slight increase since 2018. Child mortality has declined in both countries compared with levels recorded at the start of the century.

Climate-related disasters are adding to the region’s food security challenges. Heavy rainfall and flooding have damaged crops in parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh, affecting agricultural production and threatening the livelihoods of farming communities. In Afghanistan, below-average rainfall and unusually high temperatures have harmed the 2026 cereal-growing season.

Estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organisation show that 218 million people across South Asia, including Iran, experienced undernourishment between 2023 and 2025. This represents approximately one-third of the global total, underlining the scale of the region’s food crisis.

The report also warns that global hunger is increasing again after nearly two decades of progress. The global hunger score rose to 18.1 in 2026, compared with 17.6 in 2018. Hunger has worsened in 32 countries since 2018, while 57 countries are unlikely to achieve even low hunger levels by 2030.

Three major indicators of hunger — undernourishment, child stunting and child wasting — have deteriorated, while child mortality has continued to decline slightly. The report identifies armed conflicts and increasingly frequent extreme weather events as key factors behind the reversal.

The conflict involving Iran and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait have pushed up fuel, transportation and fertiliser costs. These increases threaten to raise food production and distribution expenses, placing additional pressure on households already facing economic difficulties.

Russia’s war in Ukraine and restrictions on Black Sea exports are also creating risks for global wheat supplies and prices. Higher prices for essential commodities could make food increasingly unaffordable for vulnerable populations, particularly in developing countries.

Meanwhile, international spending on food security has fallen to levels last seen in 2016 and 2017. Reduced funding has forced cuts to humanitarian assistance and emergency food programmes, leaving vulnerable communities at greater risk.

The report called on governments to reverse reductions in humanitarian funding and investment in data collection. It stressed the importance of strengthening food security programmes and improving the ability of countries to identify, prevent and respond to future hunger crises.