Acute food insecurity in Pakistan is likely to rise if the country's economic and political turmoil intensifies. According to a new United Nations report titled "Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP Early Warnings on Severe Food Insecurity", this has aggravated the consequences of the 2022 floods. The report covers the period from June to November 2023 and is jointly produced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). It noted that in the midst of the present global economic slump, rising state debt has aggravated Pakistan's protracted financial crisis. It stated that the government must repay USD 77.5 billion in external debt between April 2023 and June 2026.<br />''<br />''Growing political instability and lagging reforms prevent the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from releasing a crucial new loan line and extra support from bilateral partners. The agencies have also warned that acute food insecurity is anticipated to worsen in 81 hunger hotspots spanning 22 countries over the forecast period of June to November 2023.<br />''<br />''Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Congo, Syria Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen are all high-risk areas and remain the most concerning countries.<br />