Pakistan becomes severely affected country in Global Hunger Index: report

World Hunger Index launched a report and categorized Pakistan as a severely affected country with a score of 26.1, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

According to the latest report by the Global Hunger Index (GHI), hunger in Pakistan has increased to a dangerous level, resulting in Pakistan being included in the category of severely affected countries.

The Global Hunger Index illustrates how much and how many people in different countries are able to access food. This index is updated every year with the latest figures, and it captures the successes and failures of hunger campaigns worldwide.

According to the World Hunger Index 2022, Pakistan was ranked 99th among 121 bankrupt countries, and a continuous decline in purchasing power has pushed people towards starvation.

The global food agency’s report revealed that the average Pakistani household is forced to spend only 50.8 per cent of their monthly income on food, while 36.9 per cent suffer from a lack of food security.

The report shows that 20.5 per cent of the population in Pakistan is facing severe food shortages, and 18 per cent of children under the age of five are malnourished.

The report stated that almost 40 per cent of children at the age of five in Pakistan are malnourished, while 29 per cent are underweight.

According to the WHI report, children aged 6 to 23 months in Pakistan are deprived of nutritionally rich food.