In its weekly market report dated 21 May 2026, the World Food Programme (WFP) highlighted a slight increase in the national average prices of staple foods in Pakistan, attributed to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East that began on 26 February. Specifically, wheat flour prices rose by 2 percent compared to the previous week, primarily due to increased transportation costs and supply disruptions affecting the movement of wheat across provinces. The report indicated that the cost of a basic food basket has reached PKR 15,758 per month (approximately USD 57), translating to PKR 3,939 per week (about USD 14), not including lower-cost items like vegetables or spices. Additionally, while fuel prices for petrol and diesel saw a week-on-week decrease of 1.2 percent, they remain significantly higher than pre-crisis levels, with petrol and diesel prices elevated by 59 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
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