Most Dangerous Cities In The World

The most dangerous cities in the world suffer the loses of hundreds of lives every year due to many causes. War is frequently used to explain why some of these cities are so dangerous, but it’s not always the reason. For some, gang warfare and battling drug cartels have made walking to school a more dangerous occupation than jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Juarez suffers under drug lords and a weak government, Mogadishu has been under siege from war for years, as has Baghdad, who despite the strong US presence can never quite pull itself off this list.

1. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico - Everyone has heard of Juarez and the constant tragedies there. It’s called the"deadliest place outside of a war zone in the world” and for good reason. Ignoring the constant gang and drug violence, over 3,000 women have gone missing since 1994 and there are over 400 known sexual assaults and murders of women whose bodies are frequently found in ditches around the city. It’s home to the near legendary graveyards with hundreds of hand made crosses seen in many movies and news reports. In 2009 there were over 2,600 homicides related to drugs, easily making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
2. Karachi, Pakistan – Pakistan is frequently in the news for the violent happenings especially in its capital of Karachi. Karachi has a trifecta on the danger inducing situations, political tension, religious tension, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and ethnic tensions. Things have gotten so bad in recent years that parts of the city completely shut down for days before reopening. Arson and other property damage is a common occurrence and law enforcement agencies around the world have tracked about 600 known human traffickers operating out and around the city. There’s no question that Karachi is one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
3. Mogadishu, Somalia – There’s no argument that Mogadishu is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, and has been for many years. Despite the UN’s involvement and new government Mogadishu, and all of Somalia is still suffering from constant warfare that costs millions of lives each year. Warlords and terrorist groups battle for control and block much of the aid sent in for civilians. It became so bad in 2008 that half the population left, abandoning the increasingly violent streets to try and survive elsewhere.
4. Caracas, Venezuela – The capitol of Venezuela still has some safe zones and as long as visitors stay in those zones they’re relatively safe. Caracas’ murder rates are among the highest in the world and armed robbery is a common occurrence. Caracas’ problems come mostly from a drastic separation between wealth. The poorer areas are so bad that the police won’t even patrol them. Taxi drivers are well known to rob their clients and the area between the highway and the city is a trap for tourists who have been kidnapped and held for ransom in the past. There might be some places worth visiting but for the most part Caracas is one of the most dangerous cities in the world for a reason and should be avoided.
5. Grozny, Chechnya, Russia – Grozny is one of those perfect examples of what war can do to a place. The UN named it the most destroyed city on Earth in 2003 and the warfare that has plagued it since the 1990s has yet to stop. The Russian army destroyed the city in the 1990’s and the two Chechen wars annihilated most of the population. For some time Grozny was actually empty and it took a while before people tried to return. Currently efforts are underway to rebuild and restore the city but they are slow and most people still live without the basic essentials. Though the city is the capital of Russia most of the power resides in the hands of gangsters and corrupt politicians. Murder, rape, and kidnapping Westerns for ransom are all common occurrences. Despite the fact that the war technically ended in 2006 Grozny is still one of the most dangerous cities in the world.