The latest national nutrition survey found that 15 percent of children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, the second highest rate in the region. Close to 44 percent of children in the same age group are stunted, 32 percent are underweight and the  majority of children under 2 consume less than half of their daily energy requirements, with low levels of vitamins and minerals.

As a result of social and cultural norms and practices, women and girls face difficulties accessing humanitarian assistance and services. Girls’ access to education, especially in areas like the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), the Frontier Regions and Balochistan, remains a challenge, and there is a strong correlation between their level of education and all forms of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight). Nationwide, 7.3 million children of primary school age are not enrolled, 57 percent of whom are girls.

The World Food Programme (WFP)’s work in Pakistan is aligned Government priorities as defined in their Vision 2025. WFP supports Government-led efforts to improve food and nutrition security among vulnerable communities affected by law and order operations and the effects of recurring climatic events; work with communities in the most hazard-prone parts of the country to build resilience; address malnutrition; create an enabling environment for women to achieve social and economic equality and facilitate the voluntary return of the displaced in the northwest, as well as assist those still in displacement.