Food security challenges for Pakistan during COVID-19 pandemic: An overview of the response plan

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has imparted a significant impact on the global economic conditions The food security status in the developing and under-developed countries is getting worse with the progression of the pandemic According to the World Food Program (WFP), 271 8 million people were acutely food insecure due to the destructive impact of COVID-19 pandemic across the world Similarly, around 20%?30% population of Pakistan, that is, 40?62 million people, has been suffering from acute food insecurity due to the pandemic, and other socio-economic and environmental/climatic issues The highly vulnerable groups include daily wage class, refugees, and people living in drought-affected areas, locust-affected areas and areas with winterized emergency The COVID-19 response plan of Pakistan aimed at improving the food security situation and protecting the livelihood of the demographic groups highly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic through defining the implementing the policy for ensuring the uninterrupted food production and supply chain, integrating the food production system into the COVID-19 relief packages, adopting innovative practices to enhance the functionality of food supply chain market, and treatment of acutely malnourished and groups affected by food insecurity Accordingly, this opinion-based article reports the food security challenges faced in Pakistan in the COVID-19 era and explicates the government policies for stabilizing the functionality of agri-food systems in Pakistan