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Download More than one third of Pakistanis are malnourished, according to a recent report from the British charity Oxfam.
The group found Pakistan among the 21 most under-nourished countries in the world.
Mudassar Shah, reporting from Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan.
4-year old Kausar Mai plays with her dolls near her seven months old sister.
The young child’s body is skin and bones.
Their parents work as day laborers in nearby cotton fields.
They leave early and come home late.
While her parents are away there is no food and no milk for the baby Shazia sister.
Shazia cries out. She is hungry.
Her older sister fetches her some water from the pump in an enough to suppress her hunger.
It is their daily routine.
Today their parents come back early in a donkey cart to take Shazia to a health clinic for treatment for malnourision.
The nearest government health facility is about 20 miles away.
Samrina Mai holds her daughter Shazia in lap.
“I work all day long in field and usually earn 75 cents, 1 dollar at the most and sometimes two dollars a day. My husband also works as a day labourer in field. I have three daughters and a son. We are poor people and do work wherever we can find even if it is far away from our house or near our house.”
When they arrive, the health clinic is packed with women and children who are also here to get nutritional supplies.
Today’s program is funded by the American government.
Samrina weights her daughter and gets nutrition supplies ready to use therapeutic food called plumpy nuts.
High energy biscuits are also handed out.
“My daughter was not feeling well before and now she is seven months old. She got better since I took nutrition items for her for free. It is my second week which I get these items for my daughter. I do not know where these items come from and who provide these items. I only know a lady from whom I get these items.”
24-year old Naseebo Muchani has four children.
She is a house wife and her husband runs jewelry shop in Hyderabad.
Two weeks ago her three year old year daughter died and she is very worried about her 14 month son.
“I am not producing enough breast milk and she is getting weak. I am pregnant again therefore I cannot feed her. Both of us are weak. I am so weak that I can’t walk properly.”
Nutrition expert say that poverty, a lack of family planning and unawareness about nutrition are main sources of malnourishment in these areas.
Female children are traditionally seen as less important making girls the most vulnerable.
The most recent survey by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization found that nearly 40 million people in Pakistan are not receiving proper nourishment.
Samrina Mai and her family go back home in their donkey cart.
They will visit next week to get more food supplies.
Dr Akhtar a nutrition coordinator says Pakistan badly needs more international aid.
“Government does not have a capacity to support or carry on this program. They need the support of international community. It is a long term program not a short term program because the children are cured but they came again as relapse cases so it should be a long term program.”