Just finished reading the Global Report on Food Crises 2020. The report says total of 183 million people are living in stressed condition at the cusp of acute hunger and at risk of slipping into crisis or worse if faced with a shock or stressor, such as the #Covid19 pandemic.

Around 43m people were estimated to be acutely food insecure, in need of urgent assistance across ten countries in the Middle East and South/SE Asia, incl Pakistan. With a rural poverty headcount close to 50%, Sindh and Balochistan have the highest rural and urban poverty rates.

Report says over 3.1 million people — representing more than half of population analysed in 21 rural, drought-affected dists in Balochistan & Sindh — were in crisis or worse during the period b/w Oct 2018-July 2019.Of these, more than 1 million people faced emergency conditions.

In case anyone cares: 17.7% children under 5 years
are acutely malnourished; 19% prevalence in Balochistan and 23% in Sindh.
40.2% of children u/5yrs are stunted; 47% prevalence in Balochistan and 46% in Sindh. 53.7% of children u/5yrs and 42.7% of women 15–49 years
are anaemic

Report says 14.2% of children 6–23 months meet the minimum dietary diversity requirement; 13% in Balochistan, 10% in Sindh. Chronic malnutrition prevalence was ‘very high’ at 47% in Balochistan and 46% in Sindh. Fewer than 4% of 6–23 month-olds received a minimum acceptable diet.

Both acute and chronic child malnutrition rates are extremely concerning, particularly in rural drought-affected areas, where children consume poor quality
diets, face poor water & sanitation. Low vaccination in Balochistan, high incidence of low birthweight in Sindh concerning.

Acc to IPC acute malnutrition analysis, around
1.4 million children aged 6–59 months in need of
treatment for acute malnutrition in the 22 drought-affected districts from May–August 2019. In Balochistan 14 districts, almost 400,000 children were wasted, half of them severely so.

In Sindh, over 1 million children wasted, 365 200 of them severely so. Sixteen of the 22 drought affected districts were classified as Critical while Panjgur district in Balochistan and Umerkot and Tharparkar in Sindh were classified as Extremely Critical, the report adds.

Poor water supply, sanitation and hygiene, and high
levels of waterborne diseases – reflecting the widespread
contamination of water supplies – contributed to the high
levels of acute malnutrition.
And this: In November 2019 food was 16% more expensive than a year earlier.

Anyone bothered yet? A severe locust infestation is likely to affect domestic food production and vulnerable agropastoral populations. In North West Pakistan (former FATA), 1.27 million people are expected to be in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) by August 2020. #Pakistan

Poverty and food insecurity are linked. For those who say no one dies of hunger, they should be ashamed of themselves. Have seen enough malnourished and stunted children in Pakistan to know how cruel the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition is. No one should die to prove this.