Pakistan: The holy month of Ramzan is currently underway, during which Muslims observe fasts for 30 days. They are allowed to eat only twice a day, Sehri in the morning and Iftaar in the evening. At many places, communal Iftaar meals are organised for large gatherings.

A video from Pakistan has recently gone viral on social media, showing a chaotic scene where a crowd rushes to grab free Iftaar, almost as if they were seeing food for the first time, resembling a hunter pouncing on its prey.

This is not a backward area. This is Faisal Masjid in most developed area of Pakistan, Islamabad. Free iftaar (food) was announced & desperate Pakistanis (not beggars but common men) are rushing to grab their share. This is the situation of common Pakistanis in nuclear power. pic.twitter.com/IKtbCSGnz5

— Arif Aajakia (@arifaajakia) March 10, 2025

Pakistan has been struggling with economic instability for a long time, and many people in the country find it difficult to afford two meals a day. Reports of food scarcity frequently surface on social media. Amid the ongoing month of Ramzan, a free Iftaar meal was organised at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

The video was shared with a caption that reads, “This is not a backward area. This is Faisal Mosque, located in the most developed part of Pakistan—Islamabad. Free Iftar (food) was announced, and desperate Pakistanis (not beggars, but common citizens) rushed to grab their share. This is the reality of ordinary Pakistanis in a nuclear-armed nation.”

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Reacting to the video, one user sarcastically commented, “Feed them nuclear bombs instead…” Another wrote, “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has money for the Champions Trophy but not for renovating cricket stadiums.” A third user remarked, “Wars cannot be won through begging or weapons, sir.”

London: Rocketing global food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine could trigger riots from those going hungry in poor countries, the head of the World Trade Organization has said.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned food-producing countries against hoarding supplies and said it was vital to avoid a repeat of the Covid-19 pandemic, when rich countries were able to secure for themselves the bulk of vaccines, reports the Guardian.

In an interview with the Guardian, the WTO director general expressed concern about the knock-on effects of Russia’s invasion – stressing the dependence of many African countries on food supplies from the Black Sea region.

“I think we should be very worried. The impact on food prices and hunger this year and next could be substantial. Food and energy are the two biggest items in the consumption baskets of poor people all over the world,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

“It is poor countries and poor people within poor countries that will suffer the most.”

Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister, said 35 African countries were dependent on food imported from the Black Sea region, adding that Russia and Ukraine were responsible for 24 per cent of global supplies of wheat.