Pakistan — humanitarian situation

Pakistan faces compounding pressures from economic instability, climate vulnerability, and ongoing cross-border population movements. The country ranks 18th out of 191 nations on the INFORM Risk Index, with disasters over the past decade causing losses exceeding USD 18 billion (Islamic Relief). The current monsoon season continues, with daily situation reporting from the National Disaster Management Authority documenting ongoing weather-related impacts, while forecasts indicate dry conditions may persist over India and Pakistan through September's close FAO. Economic fragility has contributed to food price inflation, with national average prices for staple foods—wheat flour, edible oils, and pulses—standing 12 percent higher as of mid-August compared to pre-Middle East crisis levels, though wheat flour prices have stabilized week-on-week WFP. The basic food basket cost has reached PKR 16,965 per month, equivalent to approximately USD 61. Significant cross-border movements persist, primarily involving Afghan nationals. Between 1 and 31 July 2026, over 106,500 Afghan returnees were identified crossing through five border points, with IOM border monitors interviewing nearly 7,000 heads of households to assess mobility patterns, vulnerabilities, and demographics IOM. Joint IOM-UNHCR border monitoring has tracked inflows from Iran between March and mid-August, indicating sustained cross-border dynamics from multiple directions. Regional forced displacement trends show the Asia-Pacific region hosting 17.6 million people of concern to UNHCR by end-2025, a 2 percent increase from the previous year, representing 14 percent of UNHCR's global caseload UNHCR. WFP Pakistan assisted 505,000 people in July 2026, 66 percent female, distributing 2,287 metric tons of food and transferring USD 243,000 in cash assistance WFP. Through the government-led Benazir Nashonuma Programme, WFP has supported over 4.8 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under two since 2020, including 432,000 beneficiaries receiving specialized nutritious food in July. WFP reports net funding requirements of USD 35.9 million for August 2026 through January 2027. The humanitarian community has established an Information Sharing Protocol through the Pakistan Information Management Working Group to guide safe, ethical data management and establish common frameworks for information exchange OCHA.