A PERSON recently lost his life in pursuit of affordable flour. The tragedy is a stark reminder to all concerned of the severity of the flour crisis in the country, and the desperation of the people to somehow feed their families.

The shortage of flour has led to skyrocketing prices and long queues of people at stores that do have supplies. This has made it difficult for people to buy what happens to be a staple food item. The worst affected, as always, are low-income households.

It is unacceptable that people have to risk their life in pursuit of something as basic and essential as food. This tragedy is a damning indictment of the failure of the government to address the root cause of flour shortage, and to ensure the availability of affordable flour across the board.

The federal and provincial govern-ments should take immediate action to address the crisis. This should include measures to ensure the availability of flour at affordable prices, as well as efforts to address the underlying causes of the shortages, such as transportation and storage issues.

We cannot allow this tragedy to be repeated ever in the future. It is essential that we worked together to find solutions and ensured across-the-borad access to the basic necessities of life.

Aqsa Ayaz
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2023