A crisis of hunger and hope

The alarming state of food insecurity and malnutrition in Sindh

District Health’s fresh data shows 33.3 percent of children under five are suffering from wasting (acute malnutrition), over 60 percent are stunted, and 60 percent are underweight in Tharparkar. These rates are among the highest in the country. These rates coincide with the alarming statement raised by health experts at the National Conference Tackling Malnutrition in Sindh, on 23 June 2025, at Chandka Medical College, Larkana. The medical professionals stated, “Every second child in Sindh suffers from stunting.”

These figures demand urgent policy attention. Stunting and wasting are not just physical indicators but also deeply erode cognitive development, weaken immunity, and undermine Sindh’s future prospects.

These figures not only reveal a nutritional emergency but also highlight the systemic neglect of rural health infrastructure.

Pakistan signed on to the UN pledge to cut stunting below 15 percent by 2025, yet Sindh’s rate— close to 50 percent— is over three times higher. This failure has long-term consequences: children locked into cycles of poor learning, lower earnings, and chronic illness, perpetuating poverty and threatening Sindh’s social growth. 

Statistics reveal that in some areas of Sindh, around 50 percent of children are stunted, over 20 percent suffer from wasting, and approximately 41 percent are underweight. These stats signal a deep-seated nutritional emergency. They foreshadow a future generation with impaired cognitive abilities, diminished health and learning capacity, and reduced earning potential. At the provincial level, these children are being locked into a relentless cycle of underdevelopment, which threatens Sindh's broader economic productivity and social stability.

Along the Indus Delta, saltwater intrusion has displaced over 1.2 million people in recent years, and resulted in the destruction of farmland and traditional fishing zones. “We have lost both our land and our fish catch. Without income, we cannot buy enough food,” said Abdullah Mirbahar, a fisherman in Thatta district. Coastal communities have been displaced from the Indus Delta region in the past two decades, according to a study by the Jinnah Institute (A think tank led by a former climate change minister). The displacement, driven by seawater intrusion, land degradation, and climate shocks, has not only eroded livelihoods but also intensified food insecurity and malnutrition in coastal communities. These cascading crises leave children particularly vulnerable to chronic undernutrition, with national stunting, wasting, and underweight rates still hovering alarmingly above global health benchmarks.

One in three children in Tharparkar faces acute malnutrition, a stark indicator of the current crisis. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC 2024-2025) reveals that nearly 7.2 million rural Sindhis will confront crisis-level food insecurity this winter. The IPC report— produced by national and international agencies— warns that drought, rising food prices, and climate shocks are converging, pushing millions in Sindh to the brink of hunger.

The latest report by IPC warns that 11 million people in Pakistan’s rural areas, which is nearly 22 percent of the analysed population, faced Crisis or worse levels of food insecurity between November 2024 and March 2025.

“The persistence of high inflation, combined with agricultural losses from floods and reduced employment in rural economies, is driving households deeper into food insecurity,” the IPC analysis notes.

Of these 11 million rural citizens, 1.7 million (3 percent) are enduring Emergency conditions, marked by severe food consumption gaps and extreme coping strategies. The situation is projected to worsen in the lean season (April to July 2025), with millions more expected to be pushed into food insecurity due to high food prices, reduced income opportunities, and climate-related shocks.

Particularly in Sind, around 18 percent of the population, or about 3.8 million people, are facing extreme food shortages and struggling to meet their basic needs. These people are facing a high risk of acute malnutrition. These conditions urge the government, humanitarian agencies, and development partners to scale up food assistance, livelihood support, and resilience-building measures before the lean season peaks. Without timely intervention, millions could slide into more severe hunger levels.

“Ensuring food and nutrition security, particularly during crises such as climate change, is our priority,” said Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah during a national conference in June 2025.

WFP Pakistan Country Director Coco Ushiyama reaffirmed this commitment, underscoring the need for integrated action built on access, livelihoods, and climate resilience. Since the 2022 floods, Sindh’s government has rolled out several relief measures: notably, the World Bank–backed Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP) mobilized ₨ 5.7 billion between October 2022 and January 2023 to repair 208 breaches in irrigation infrastructure, revitalize dams, pumps, and canals, and revive agricultural livelihoods, benefiting over one million low-income residents. Additionally, relief grants under the Flood Rehabilitation Programme were enhanced in mid-2025. Meanwhile, a Financial Times exposé highlighted that, nearly two years after the floods, 12 million survivors remained in makeshift shelters, with recovery stalling amid funding delays and the burden of debt-funded aid.

While the statistics paint a grim picture, the situation is not beyond repair. The first step forward lies in acknowledging malnutrition as a structural issue— linked to poverty, governance, and climate vulnerability— rather than a short-term crisis. Sindh’s response must shift from relief to reform: improving data-driven planning, prioritizing rural health systems, and ensuring that nutrition programs reach the most deprived communities. Progress will be gradual, but with political will, fiscal discipline, and institutional continuity, Sindh can still move toward a future where hunger is not inevitable but preventable.