If you thought you have lived through hell in your life, think again. People whose everyday life is uncertain, where death is uncertain. We take a dig on some of the most dangerous cities in the world and the horror people living there go through. While it is commonly believed that poorer countries statistically have higher crime rates, population density also play a factor. These cities are dangerous due to uncontrolled drug trafficking, violence, political corruption and are highly dominated by ruthless and violent gangs fueled by illegal drug trading and arms. All of the top ten most dangerous cities in the World are some of the largest cities in their countries. Backed by low literacy rate and low economic growth, these cities which at one time were considered to be safest place are now one of the most dangerous cities on earth. The list is here based on recent crime rates and economic reviews by some of the leading news journals, will surely be enough to send shivers down your spines. So while you plan to go somewhere for adventure, let’s look at where NOT to go.
If you thought you have lived through hell in your life, think again. People whose everyday life is uncertain, where death is uncertain. We take a dig on some of the most dangerous cities in the world and the horror people living there go through. While it is commonly believed that poorer countries statistically have higher crime rates, population density also play a factor. These cities are dangerous due to uncontrolled drug trafficking, violence, political corruption and are highly dominated by ruthless and violent gangs fueled by illegal drug trading and arms. All of the top ten most dangerous cities in the World are some of the largest cities in their countries. Backed by low literacy rate and low economic growth, these cities which at one time were considered to be safest place are now one of the most dangerous cities on earth. The list is here based on recent crime rates and economic reviews by some of the leading news journals, will surely be enough to send shivers down your spines. So while you plan to go somewhere for adventure, let’s look at where NOT to go.
1. Ciudad Juárez
It is one of the world’s fastest growing cities in spite of the fact that it has been called “the most violent zone in the world outside of declared war zones”. Public life is almost paralyzed out of fear of being hit by a stray bullet or kidnapped. Over the past 10 years Ciudad Juárez has seen more than 400 women fall victims to sexual homicides. The city is still far from safe, this border town is still controlled by gangsters. Kidnappings and extortion is still very common, and some human rights groups have found that incidents of torture are on the rise. Additionally, as people leave the city by the thousands Ciudad Juarez, Mexico was previously listed as the second most dangerous city, may undergo a name change to Ciudad de los Muertos (City of the Dead).
2. Caracas, Venezuela
The murder rate in the capital of Venezuela is said to be among the highest in the world, with much of that violence being related to drug trafficking and resulting from the fact that the country is located between the U.S. and Columbia. Armed robberies are common in the city, even in areas presumed safe and visited by tourists. Express kidnappings, in which victims are seized in an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for their release, are a problem. Even worse, police investigations into kidnappings have revealed that police officers are often involved. Crime is even rampant at the airport, which itself is said to be rife with corruption. And of course, pickpockets, hotel thieves, scammers and grifters abound.
2. Caracas, Venezuela
The murder rate in the capital of Venezuela is said to be among the highest in the world, with much of that violence being related to drug trafficking and resulting from the fact that the country is located between the U.S. and Columbia. Armed robberies are common in the city, even in areas presumed safe and visited by tourists. Express kidnappings, in which victims are seized in an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for their release, are a problem. Even worse, police investigations into kidnappings have revealed that police officers are often involved. Crime is even rampant at the airport, which itself is said to be rife with corruption. And of course, pickpockets, hotel thieves, scammers and grifters abound.
3. San Pedro Sula, Honduras
The commercial capital of Honduras has roughly 170 murders per every 100,000 residents. This is more than three times higher than the murder rate in New Orleans, which is the most violent city in the United States, with 56 murders per 100,000 residents. Gangs, extreme poverty, and total corruption all contribute to make San Pedro Sula the world’s most dangerous city. Perhaps even more alarming is a study by the United Nations indicating that the city’s murder rate has more than doubled in the period from 2005 – 2010. Like many struggling Latin American countries, San Pedro Sula’s spike in extreme violence is largely a product of the drug trade, mixed with extreme poverty and high levels of corruption.
4. Acapulco, Mexico
Acapulco was once the playground of the rich and famous. Acapulco’s murder rate of 142 killings per 100,000 residents is 28 times higher than the U.S. average. When hotels and conference centers organize special events, local officials double or triple the number of police in those areas and set up checkpoints where cars are searched. In neighborhoods that are a couple miles away from the beach, patrols are less frequent. Violence in the city started to skyrocket in 2009, after the drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva was killed in Cuernavaca by Mexican security forces, sparking a struggle for control of Acapulco’s profitable drug market among rival gangs.
5. Maceió, Brazil
This medium sized city in northeastern Brazil had 85 murders per every 100,000 residents in 2012.With a murder rate of shocking 135.26, it is enough dangerous to scare you out. If you thought Brazil is popular for its beaches and models in bikinis think again. Police say much of the violence is linked to the city’s booming trade for crack cocaine. Most addicts are killed because they can’t pay back the debt they own their dealer, the traffickers like to show who’s boss to ensure they get their money, so they make an example of the user by murdering him.
6. Baghdad, Iraq
Nearly nine years after the U.S. began combat operations in Iraq, violence continues to ravage the capital city of Baghdad. Intermittent suicide bombings, random gunfire, roadside bombs and other attacks still occur throughout the city. In the past two weeks, dozens of Iraqi civilians have been killed in separate events. With American troops leaving the country, many are unsure whether Iraqi security forces can keep the region at even the current level of stability. The information the world receives from Baghdad today has been reduced to simple numbers and images of horror.
7. Cape Town, South Africa
One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Cape Town is also a city that is battling extremely high crime rates. With a murder rate of 46.15, It no longer remains South Africa’s paradise which it used to be. Each day an average of nearly 50 people are murdered.
In addition to these 18,000 murders each year, there are another 18,000 attempted murders.
Violent crime in Cape Town tends to be of a more domestic and social nature, with people committing the acts knowing each other, at least on the whole. If you are going for a visit, try not to advertise you are a tourist.
8. Karachi, Pakistan
Sure, we hear about violence in Pakistan all the time, but in 2011, more than three times as many people were killed in Karachi than the number of people killed in American drone strikes in the tribal areas. Almost every week Karachi is in news for bomb blasts, killing innocent civilians majority of which are children. The violence is carried out by mafia members, many of whom either have the support of political parties or the armed militias of the parties. The violence has paralyzed the economic hub that accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Pakistan’s $160 billion direct tax revenue. Local business associations say the violence has led to losses of several hundreds of millions of dollars, adding to the pressure on the country’s already beleaguered economy.
9. Chihuahua, Mexico
With an astonishing Murder rate of 82.96, this city of Mexico. Chihuahua is an important transit point for cocaine smuggling into the United States. As cartels fight for control of all-important drug routes, the levels of violence in Chihuahua has shot up dramatically. It’s not uncommon for large groups of armed men to storm businesses and indiscriminately open fire.
10. Belém, Brazil
Belém is a natural gateway for cocaine streaming in from the surrounding countries of Columbia, Bolivia, and Peru. The dense Amazonian jungle surrounding this city makes it perfect for smuggling in drugs, where they can be exported all over Brazil and around the world. The rise in cocaine use in the country has surely contributed to Belém’s place as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.The violence isn’t limited to drug killings; people are even murdered for trying to protect the Amazon rainforest. Cattle barons have been known to hire professional assassins to take out activists, land reform advocates, and smaller farmers who refuse to give into extortion and strong arm tactics.
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