Three-quarters of African countries and several Arab nations are at a high or extreme risk of a food crisis, according to a new report.

In a survey of 197 countries, published by the global risk and strategic consulting firm Maplecroft on Wednesday, 59 countries are most at risk of food insecurity.

The analysis added that out of the eleven countries that are in the “extreme risk” category, nine are in Africa. The other two are Haiti and Afghanistan.


Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are ranked first, followed by Haiti, Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Afghanistan, the Comoros, and Sierra Leone, respectively.

"Although a food crisis has not emerged yet, there is potential for food-related upheaval across the most vulnerable regions," Helen Hodge from Maplecroft said.

Sources of food insecurity range from conflict and instability to rising prices for corn, and declining production in former Soviet countries.

"The drivers of the Arab Awakening were varied and complex and included long standing public anger at high levels of governmental corruption and oppressive tactics against populations and political opposition," Maplecroft announced, adding, "When these factors combine with food insecurity, sparked by rising global prices, it can create an environment for social unrest and regime change."

Important changes compared to last year's rankings were North Korea (from 19th to 35th), Egypt (from 88th to 71st) and Syria (from 89th to 16th).
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