There are some places that the average person should never visit, unless one has a penchant for unreasonable thrill seeking and the desire to thwart some international laws. Below is a list of the five most dangerous cities in the world, taken from aggregated lists that measured murder rates, kidnapping rates, drug violence, and general crime. It should be noted that some of these cities, while aesthetically beautiful and full of culture, are not governed by strong laws, and are generally unsafe.
1. Kabul, Afghanistan: Afghanistan has a long way to go towards rebuilding and reforming its infrastructure and government post-invasion, which is why it understandably does not have a thriving tourism industry. Bombings and attacks by the Taliban are almost a daily occurrence, and foreigners are often the targets of kidnappings and murders. Drug trafficking and human trafficking are amongst the larger problems within the country.
2. Mogadishu, Somalia: Forever ingrained in everyone's minds from the poignant Black Hawk Down, Mogadishu has remained lawless and relatively ungoverned for the better part of twenty years. It used to be the most dangerous city in the world by most traditional metrics. Strangely, however, the northern parts of Somalia, notably Somaliland, Puntland, and Galmudug are relatively stable and have petitioned the UN to become formal states rather than the semi-autonomous parts of Somalia that they currently are.
3. Acapulco, Mexico: However much Frank Sinatra romanticized the city, Acapulco has become another quagmire in which the Mexican drug cartels wage their perpetual wars. Once one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Acapulco now has a rising murder rate, amongst the highest in the world. Kidnappings are also commonplace, given that the drug cartels engage in both drug trafficking and human trafficking.
4. Caracas, Venezuela: With the death of Hugo Chavez, the country was launched into an uncertain future, and has seen anti-government protests quelled under the fist of President Nicolás Maduro. The murder rate has also been rising over the years, and the police presence has been lacking. Kidnappings are commonplace, and costs of living have been rising to unsustainable levels.
5. Distrito Central, Honduras: The city brags one of the highest murder rates in the world, even though it is classified as a larger city. The murder rates rose from previous years, and the country's overall murder rate is the highest in the world. Drug cartels perpetuate much of the violence, kidnapping foreigners and murdering civilians.
