Shafaqna Pakistan | by Kumail Akmal- In 2024, over 18.2 million children — an alarming rate of 35 every minute — were born into hunger, with Pakistan contributing 1.4 million of these births. This sobering statistic, shared by Save the Children, places Pakistan second only to the Democratic Republic of Congo in terms of the proportion of its population living in undernourishment. The findings paint a grim picture of the state of food security in the country and reveal the collective failure to address the growing crisis.
Pakistan, already one of the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world, is grappling with a confluence of environmental disasters, economic instability, and deep-rooted poverty. These challenges are not only exacerbating hunger but also threatening the future of the nation’s children.
The catastrophic floods of 2022 were not an isolated event but a stark reminder of the ongoing and intensifying climate-driven crises that Pakistan faces. The impact of climate vulnerability on food security is no longer a theoretical concern but a very real crisis playing out in real-time, especially in the rural heartlands of the country. Across these areas, mothers are forced into heart-breaking decisions daily.
Many struggle to ensure their children have enough to eat, often cutting meal portions, skipping meals altogether, or choosing which child receives nourishment. These are impossible choices no parent should ever have to make. Behind each statistic lies a family grappling with hunger, compounded by rising food prices and limited access to healthcare services.
While the government has initiated programs like the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to provide crucial financial assistance to vulnerable families, these initiatives need substantial expansion and more precise targeting. The Ehsaas Nashonuma programme, aimed at addressing child stunting, is another critical intervention but requires scaling up beyond its current reach. For long-term improvements in food security, it is essential for the government to overhaul the National Food Security Policy.
This revamped policy should integrate climate adaptation strategies and promote the adoption of modern agricultural practices. Additionally, strengthening early warning systems for food insecurity and expanding nutrition-specific interventions through community health workers, particularly lady health workers, will be vital steps in addressing the issue.
Collaboration between federal and provincial food security initiatives also needs to be enhanced to create a more unified response. The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) must prioritize agricultural microfinance and climate-smart farming techniques to help communities become more resilient to climate impacts and improve food production.
While international support remains essential in alleviating the immediate effects of the crisis, domestic resource mobilization is just as important. The government must significantly increase spending in the health sector, with a particular focus on nutrition programs that address both the immediate and long-term needs of children.
Moreover, there is a pressing need to enhance the National Disaster Risk Management Fund, enabling it to better respond to climate-induced food crises and mitigate their effects. The fact that more babies are being born into hunger today than in previous years highlights not just a humanitarian crisis but a national emergency. If the situation is left unaddressed, it poses a grave threat to Pakistan’s future, condemning an entire generation to a life of hunger and deprivation. The nation must act decisively to ensure that the next generation of Pakistanis does not inherit a legacy of malnutrition and poverty, but rather one of hope and opportunity.
Source: Shafaqna Pakistan
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