BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, March 10, 2021 – As a result of the global pandemic, 14 countries are at substantial risk of slipping deeper into food insecurity, a new analysis by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) finds. According to the report*, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Venezuela, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe are among the 14 countries experiencing the world’s worst food crises. East and West Africa are the regions with the greatest number of “countries of concern.” “In addition to the tremendous health and economic impacts of this disease, COVID-19 has plunged millions of families further into poverty, threatening their ability to put food on the table,” said Sean Callahan, CRS President and CEO. “As we near the one-year mark of this pandemic, it’s important to acknowledge and tackle the broader toll COVID-19 has taken on especially vulnerable countries, many of which are combating simultaneous crises.”