Pakistan

Pakistan has South Asia’s second largest economy. However, entrenched poverty, social inequality, and limited access to basic social services—along with persistent conflict and natural disasters—have limited its development. 

While Pakistan has made dramatic progress in reducing polio and other health threats, national surveys estimate that rates of child stunting from undernutrition have not improved in 30 years. At present, 45 percent of children in Pakistan are stunted, and 16 percent of children under the age of 5 suffer from acute undernutrition. Action Against Hunger works to address undernutrition and to mitigate the consequences of hunger as well as address the causes of hunger.

In 2017, we focused on ensuring treatment for children with severe acute malnutrition in close partnership with the relevant local health departments. We completed the multi-year European Union funded program Women and Infant/Child Improved Nutrition in Sindh, which included extensive nutrition coverage across Dadu district through outpatient therapeutic program sites. Following the closure of this program, we established and operated outpatient therapeutic program sites in Daud, Matiari, Khairpir, and Ghotki district with support from SIDA and UNICEF. In the same districts, we also supported operations of four stabilization centers, which are hosted within the Government’s district headquarter hospital.

To address the causes of hunger we have focused on preventing diseases such as worms and diarrhoea, food security interventions and promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices. This has included direct activities to encourage behavior change among mothers, children, and other community members. We have supported agriculture activities such as vaccination campaigns for livestock, established kitchen gardens to promote diverse household consumption, provided food vouchers and support for social safety net cash injection to improve livelihoods security. Further to this and given the impact of disaster on communities, we supported disaster planning in the agencies of agriculture, fisheries, livestock, local government and health at the province and national level. Our activities are where possible supported by research programs funded by DFID and the Innocent Foundation to change and improve the way hunger is addressed.