An October 16, 2018 report by the World Economic Forum shows that countries that enjoy more security also enjoy better economic development.
The most dangerous countries, listed below, are rife with terrorism, economic insecurity, and have some of the worst homicide rates in the world. Here are 10 of them in descending order.
10. Jamaica
Firearms are used in the majority of murders and 80% of Jamaica’s guns can be traced back to the US. The US State Department has warned travellers of the prevalence of sexual assault in Jamaica, which was unravelled by USA Today.
9. South Africa
South Africa has a notably high rate of murders, assaults, rapes and other violent crimes, compared to most countries.
Its crime rates, recidivism and overburdened criminal justice system have been described as a crisis which requires a radical rethink of crime and punishment in the youth
8. Colombia
In 2015, investigators recover children’s remains at a farm near Medellin, Colombia. At the time authorities said the bodies of two women and two children had been found; the suspect confessed to at least 20 murders. Nearly one-third of the population of Colombia lives under the poverty line, according to the CIA.
7. Philippines
The US recognizes four terrorist organizations in the Philippines, including ISIS, Jamaah Islamayah, the New People’s Army, and Abu Sayyaf. There are also nearly 500,000 displaced Philippino citizens, according to the CIA.
Since his election in 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has employed his police forces in a controversial war on drugs, killing suspected drug dealers and users often without a trial.
6. Guatemala
In 2017, two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crimes like these have driven emigration to the US as families seek refuge from violence. The boys were 10 and 11 years old.
5. Honduras
Nearly 200,000 Honduran citizens have been displaced due to violence, threats, and forced gang affiliation with MS-13 and Barrio 18. Honduras has historically had one of the highest murder rates in the world.
4. Yemen
Yemen is in the midst of its years-long civil war, which is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s central government, and Iran, which supports the Houthi rebels.
Al-Qaeda’s AQAP branch and ISIS also have a presence in the nation. It also hosts a number of undetected minefields, over half its citizens live in poverty, and as war rages food insecurity is on the rise.
3. Nigeria
In February 2017, German archaeologists were kidnapped in Janjala village, Nigeria. Kidnappers ransomed their captives for $200,000 and killed two villagers during the kidnapping.
Boko Haram and ISIS maintain a presence in Nigeria, and despite oil resources, nearly two-thirds of the country’s population live in extreme poverty.
2. Venezuela
Thousands of citizens protested for months, blaming Venezuelan President Maduro for inflation, crime and food insecurity. Unemployment and trafficking in persons continue to plague Venezuela, which also hosts the recognized terrorist organization National Liberation Army (ELN).
1. El Salvador (The world’s most dangerous country)
According to authorities, thousands of gang members are responsible for the majority of the nation’s crimes such as executions.
Authorities recorded nearly 4,000 murders in El Salvador in 2017 alone, and say that most criminal activity is a result of gang violence at the hands of MS-13 and Barrio 18. El Salvador’s soaring homicide rate has forced thousands of its citizens to seek asylum in the US.
