Pakistan has improved its ranking on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) which is a peer-reviewed report published by the Concern Worldwide of Ireland and Welthungerhilfe (WHH) every year since 2007 to track hunger in developing countries.
Countries considered to have a reduced ratio of hunger are close to zero and ones close to 100 are considered to have a higher hunger ratio. The index includes four indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, stunting, and the under-five mortality rate. Currently, 811 million people suffer from hunger, and 41 million live on the brink of famine.
Moreover, the report reveals that the world is off track in the fight against hunger, moving further and further away from the binding goal of ending hunger by 2030.
Read more: The survival of food systems in Pakistan
According to the 2021 GHI, Pakistan ranked 92nd out of 116. It received a score of 24.7 which is an improvement from its previous scores. The situation in Pakistan regarding hunger was improving since 2000 as the ratio was 36.7 in the year 2000, 33.1 in the year 2006, 32.1 in the year 2012, and in the year 2021, the points further dropped to 24.7.
Disasters, conflicts and uncertainty continue to be the driver of extreme poverty & hunger in Pakistan. #GHI2021 pic.twitter.com/dycMXdWtGF
— Ashfaque Soomro (@Ashfaque_ahs) August 16, 2022
Harsh reality
While Pakistan’s ranking is certainly an improvement, with a score of 24.7 Pakistan has a level of hunger that is still considered serious. The main drivers of hunger in Pakistan are Climate Change and less adapted local food systems. Up to 40 percent population of the country was food insecure.
In an alarming situation, Pakistan is the eighth most-affected country by climate change globally and is likely to be water scarce by 2025. Water shortage will drastically impact Pakistan’s food production, shortages for the agriculture-dependant country.
Read more: Imran Khan warns of food insecurity amid current inflation
The number of individuals who are food-insecure has increased, while social and economic imbalances have only gotten worse as a result of economic and financial policies. More Pakistanis are now facing food insecurity as a result of double-digit food price increases and declining income over the last three years. Access to affordable food is the biggest barrier to achieving a balanced diet, and the majority of Pakistanis are unable to do so.