Pakistan has once again been identified among the world's 10 most severe hunger hotspots, with a combination of persistent poverty, economic hardship, climate-related disasters and shrinking humanitarian assistance pushing millions deeper into food insecurity.

A new report, Ten Largest Global Food Crises 2026, published by international humanitarian organisation Action Against Hunger ahead of World Food Day, estimates that 10.6 million people across Pakistan will require humanitarian assistance in 2026.

The assessment highlights a growing disconnect between improvements in certain macroeconomic indicators and the daily realities facing vulnerable families, many of whom continue to struggle to secure sufficient and nutritious food.

Globally, around 177 million people are living in the 10 countries with the highest levels of food insecurity, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the world's acute hunger burden.

The report notes that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade and now affects approximately 266 million people across 47 countries.

The countries experiencing the largest food crises are Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan and Syria.

In Pakistan, soaring food prices, rising living costs, unemployment, declining household incomes and wider economic instability have significantly weakened the purchasing power of many families.

Low-income communities have been particularly affected as unfavourable agricultural pricing has further reduced already fragile livelihoods.

With humanitarian funding failing to keep pace with rising needs, many households have been forced to adopt coping mechanisms such as reducing meal consumption, selling productive assets and withdrawing children from school.

Aid agencies warn that while such measures may provide temporary financial relief, they also risk deepening poverty, worsening malnutrition and increasing educational deprivation.

The report further stresses that reduced access to healthcare, nutrition support, clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and social protection programmes continues to intensify hardship, particularly in rural regions and areas affected by natural disasters.

Cuts to livelihood assistance and essential community services have also weakened long-term recovery efforts and reduced resilience among vulnerable populations.

Climate change remains one of the most significant drivers of food insecurity across Pakistan.

Repeated floods, droughts, heatwaves, glacial lake outburst floods and increasingly unpredictable monsoon patterns have damaged infrastructure, disrupted agricultural production and affected livestock-based livelihoods.

The broader Action Against Hunger assessment warns that hunger is becoming increasingly concentrated in countries facing overlapping challenges such as conflict, displacement, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and reduced humanitarian access.

The report also points to a widening global gap between humanitarian needs and available resources, with international assistance for food-related crises declining even as the number of people facing acute food insecurity continues to rise.

For Pakistan, the findings underscore how economic pressures and climate vulnerability continue to threaten food security, leaving millions exposed despite ongoing recovery efforts and signs of broader economic stabilisation.

ANI