New Delhi, Jan 8 (AHN) Pakistan’s Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES 2024-25), released on January 2 this year, indicates a significant increase in household food insecurity, with roughly one in four persons experiencing moderate-to-severe food insecurity in 2024-25, compared to about one in six in 2018-19, according to an article in the Pakistani media.

Moderate-to-severe food insecurity rose by 8.43 per cent during this period, going from 15.92 per cent in 2018-19 to 24.35 per cent in 2024-25, according to an article in The News Pakistan.

This represents a relative increase of a mammoth 53.0 per cent in just six years.

Severe food insecurity, specifically, increased from 2.37 per cent to 5.04 per cent. As such, the country appears to have a full-blown hunger crisis on its hands. Interestingly, while hunger and poverty are problems usually associated with rural areas, the spike in food insecurity has actually been sharper in Pakistan’s urban centres.

Moderate-to-severe food insecurity has more than doubled in the urban areas to 20.58 per cent, as compared to a 39.0 per cent increase in the rural areas. Severe food insecurity is now more prevalent in urban areas (5.12 per cent) than in rural areas (4.99 per cent). High inflation and eroding purchasing power are thought to be the main reasons behind this difference, the article stated.

Among provinces, Balochistan has the highest rate of high-to-moderate or severe food insecurity, followed by Sindh. Surprisingly, Punjab has the third-highest rate, despite its much-touted Rs14 roti rate, ahead of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The figures show that the bottom 20.0 per cent of households in terms of income, unsurprisingly, experience the highest rate of moderate or severe food insecurity at 45.97 per cent. However, what is truly shocking is that even among the top 20.0 per cent of households, a category that includes much of the middle class, the rate is at 8.95 per cent. One could reasonably argue that Pakistan is a very poor country and that even the top 20 per cent in terms of income are not really rich. But the fact that hunger is rising even among this group indicates just how hard it has become to make a living in this country, the article lamented.

The report cites factors like Covid-19, the 2022 floods and high inflation as contributing to the problem. While inflation has moderated significantly, the cost of living is still far too high for the majority and severe monsoon flooding appears to be becoming the norm, the article states.

"No one knows when the next pandemic or similar global crisis could strike, but it is clear that our fragile food supply systems will likely not be able to cope. Add in the fact that, under IMF tutelage, agricultural taxes could rise, and the government’s support for the sector may well decline, and the situation becomes even more worrying. If this is what economic stability has to offer to the people, things might not stay stable for very long," the article concluded.