Many Pakistanis have long told themselves a comforting story. Despite all the problems in the country, no one really goes hungry. If someone is struggling, family members and neighbours' help, mosques distribute food, wealthy philanthropists step in. There is considerable truth in this. Pakistan has a deeply rooted tradition of private charity and philanthropy.

But generosity is not a substitute for food security.

The scale of Pakistan's hunger and malnutrition makes that distinction impossible to ignore. The World Food Programme estimates that 20.7 per cent of Pakistan's population is undernourished, while 40 per cent of children under five are stunted. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an internationally recognised system for measuring levels of food insecurity, found that 7.5 million people, or 21 per cent of the population in the 45 rural districts assessed, were facing 'crisis level' food insecurity or worse between December 2025 and March 2026. Of........

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