What is Hunger?
Hunger is a problem that is a major part of human suffering. The issue of hunger started in 536 AD when a volcano erupted so the reason this was related to hunger because this caused a lot of climate change and their were a lot of natural disasters and that destroyed crops that made food. This word has more than 2 meanings and they are pretty similar and this has been a threat to human society for centuries. 690 million people go to bed hungry everyday and then later they die and this issue could cause human extinction.
Did You Know?
People who suffer chronic hunger don’t have the option of eating when they are hungry. They do not get enough calories, essential nutrients, or both. Worrying about how to feed themselves and their children consumes much of their day.
Some people are hungry because food is in short supply in their area. Others can’t afford to buy enough food. It may be both. Some countries have a "hunger season” every year, when the previous harvest is gone and the next harvest is not yet ready. Hunger season can last as long as three to four months.
The U.S. doesn’t have that kind of a hunger season, but for many – especially low-wage workers, retirees, people with disabilities, and their families – some weeks are hungrier than others. These usually come toward the end of the month, as families run short of food before they have money to buy more. Many families in the U.S. struggle with choosing between food and rent.
What Is Food Insecurity?
People living with food insecurity are especially vulnerable to hunger and lack a stable, reliable means of getting the meals they need. A month of bad weather for a farmer or an illness for a worker and a loss of income can mean less food and the prospect of hunger. In simple words Food insecurity as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.
What is the food insecurity in Pakistan and globally?
Global Food Insecurity:
In 2020, an estimated 811 million people globally were affected by hunger, an increase from 2019 largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The regions with the highest rates of food insecurity are Africa ( 21% of the population), Asia ( 9%), and Latin America and the Caribbean ( 9%).
Globally, around 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food until 2020.
The scale of the current global hunger and malnutrition crisis is enormous. WFP estimates – from 78 of the countries where it works (and where data is available) – that more than 333 million people are facing acute levels of food insecurity in 2023, and do not know where their next meal is coming from. This constitutes a staggering rise of almost 200 million people compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
The global food crisis is affecting millions of people around the world. In 2023, record levels of acute food insecurity persist due to protracted food crises and new shocks. In 48 countries, 238 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity – 10% more than in 2022.
Pakistan Food Insecurity
Over the years, Pakistan has become a food surplus country and a major producer of wheat which it distributes to needy populations through various mechanisms, including the World Food Programme (WFP).
However, the national nutrition survey 2018 showed that 36.9 percent of the population faces food insecurity. Primarily, this is due to limited economic access by the poorest and most vulnerable group of the population – particularly women – to an adequate and diverse diet. The survey also showed the second highest rate of malnutrition in the region with 18 percent of children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, around 40 percent of the children in the same age group are stunted and 29 percent are underweight. All complementary feeding indicators are far below acceptable levels, only one in seven children aged 6–23 months receives a meal with minimum dietary diversity, with at least four different food groups, and around 82% children are deprived of the minimum number of the meals a day.
An average Pakistani household spends 50.8 percent of monthly income on food. This makes them particularly vulnerable to shocks, including high food prices. The impact of climate change and population displacements exacerbate the situation.
As a result of social and cultural norms and practices, women and girls face difficulties accessing humanitarian assistance and services. Girls’ access to education, especially in areas bordering Afghanistan (the newly merged regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - KP) and Baluchistan, remains a challenge. There is a strong correlation between girls’ level of education and all forms of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight). Nationwide, 7.3 million children of primary school age are not enrolled, 57 percent of whom are girls.
WFP’s work in Pakistan aligns with the Government’s priorities as defined in its Vision 2025 and as has been further highlighted with respect to malnutrition and reducing rates of stunting by Prime Minister Imran Khan, elected in 2018. WFP supports Government-led efforts to improve food and nutrition security among vulnerable communities in response to the effects of recurring human and climatic events; work with communities in the most hazard-prone parts of the country to build resilience; address malnutrition; and create an enabling environment for women to achieve social and economic equality.
WFP is also working hand in hand with the Government of Pakistan to build capacity at national and provincial levels to develop multi-sectorial policies and strategies fully aligned with the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) approach, partner on research initiatives in the areas of food security, join in cash-based welfare programs and provide expertise on disaster risk reduction, health and emergency preparedness and response.
WFP partners with the Government of Pakistan by providing humanitarian and recovery assistance to meet the basic food and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable populations both during and in the aftermath of disasters.