Pakistan finds itself ensnared in the throes of a profound humanitarian crisis, where millions grapple with the relentless scourges of hunger, disease, and displacement. Across the nation, lifelines like clean water, healthcare, and education remain elusive, leaving countless lives teetering on the edge of despair. Adding to this bleak reality are waves of displacement driven by natural disasters, terrorism, and political instability, plunging many into unrelenting cycles of poverty and desperation.

The statistics are grim. Nearly 10 million children in Pakistan bear the silent burden of stunting, a direct result of chronic malnutrition, while eight in ten children are deprived of the right type and quantity of food needed to nourish their growing bodies, perpetuating alarming rates of stunting and wasting.

According to the Pakistan Nutrition Humanitarian Overview 2022, approximately 910,000 people were internally displaced in 2021. Conflict, poverty, and lack of resources prevent many from returning to their homes, and with ongoing political instability, displacement is expected to rise, exacerbating the nation’s hunger and malnutrition crisis.

Currently, only about 63.1 percent of households are considered "food secure, " meaning they have access to sufficient and nutritious food. However, high food prices and severe flooding in 2022 have worsened the food security crisis, affecting the livelihoods of approximately 33 million people, especially in southern areas.

A Legacy of Exploitation

At the heart of this humanitarian catastrophe lies the stranglehold of elite capture — a corrosive legacy of colonial rule that has ossified over generations. This entrenched system has allowed a privileged few to hoard resources, manipulate the levers of power, and perpetuate their dominance at the expense of the majority. Strengthened by relentless privatisation drives, these elites have systematically suppressed dissent and hollowed out the foundations of grassroots democracy, leaving ordinary citizens........

© The Friday Times