From December 2025 to March 2026, approximately 1.25 million people in Pakistan are expected to face ‘emergency’ levels of acute food insecurity, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. These populations are experiencing large food gaps and high rates of acute malnutrition, making immediate lifesaving assistance critical to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
The crisis is driven by the lingering impacts of 2025 monsoon floods, ongoing drought, and localized insecurity, which have weakened agricultural and pastoral livelihoods, disrupted markets, and reduced households’ ability to cope. Seasonal factors, including the December-to-February lean season and harsh winter conditions in some areas, have further limited farm labor, income opportunities, and access to food. Food access is also constrained by weak purchasing power, market dependence, price volatility, and indebtedness, with wheat flour identified as a key concern during this period.
Regional disparities have intensified the crisis. In the IPC’s analysis covering 45 vulnerable regions and about 15 percent of the population, Balochistan carries the highest proportional burden, with 25 percent of the analyzed population experiencing high levels of food insecurity. In Sindh, over 3 million people are affected, while districts such as Musakhel, Zhob, Kachi, Tank, and Torghar see 30 percent of the population facing at least high levels of food insecurity.
Looking ahead to April–September 2026, projections indicate that 6.7 million people may face high levels of food insecurity or worse, representing a decrease of around 855,000 from the current period. Some pressure may ease due to seasonal factors, including winter crop harvesting and Eid-related livestock sales, though drivers like high staple prices, climate risks, insecurity, and cross-border trade disruptions are expected to persist. Despite lower reported numbers compared to the previous year, the reduction is partly due to narrower geographic coverage in the analysis, with the prevalence of severe malnutrition remaining similar.
The IPC report emphasizes urgent action to reduce food consumption gaps and protect lives. It recommends scaling up access to sufficient and nutritious food using appropriate delivery modalities, including cash and voucher assistance as well as targeted in-kind food distributions.
