15 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in the World

#15 Dora, Baghdad, Iraq

Following the 2003 coalition invasion, Dora became a home base for Al-Qaeda. It was also the site of pitched battles between American soldiers and insurgents. In recent years, Sunni radicals have made numerous attempts to “ethnically cleanse” Dora of its Christian population. The attempts brought about a tidal wave of violence, which took over the neighborhood. Even in a war-ravaged state, this area is certainly the one to avoid, especially if you are Christian.

#14 Solntsevo, Moscow, Russia

Solntsevo was one of the places where organized crime in post-Soviet Russia found its start. A neighborhood in northwest Moscow, Solntsevo gave its name to one of the most dangerous criminal outfits in the world.The Solntsevskaya Brotherhood has expanded into a powerful clan involved in arms trafficking, money laundering, and high-level fraud. The neighborhood is nowadays less violent than a few decades ago, but still it is not where you would want to spend much time if you are in Russia.

#13 Chamelecón, San Pedro Sula, Honduras

San Pedro Sula in Honduras is a city blighted by drugs, crime, and violence. But even if this town, the inner city area of Chamelecón is notorious for being immersed in poverty, drugs, and gang violence. Facilities are lacking, including clean water sources, and many locals live in shacks. The infamous international gang, known as the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), is known to operate in the area.

#12 Cite Soleil, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

Cité Soleil is Haiti’s largest slum, located in the country’s capital city of Port-au-Prince. One of the largest shantytowns in the Northern Hemisphere, it totally lacks infrastructure and public services. It also suffers from uncontrolled crime, and a disturbing frequency of lynching. Following a recent earthquake, local gang members escaped from Haiti's damaged prison and have now returned to the slum, escalating crime.

#11 Petare, Caracas, Venezuela

Due to poor policing, corruption, and a plethora of illegal weapons, the Venezuelan capital of Caracas has become plagued by gangs and organized crime. Home to around two million people, the Petare neighborhood is known as one of the most violent areas of Caracas. The shantytown started as a barracks for workers constructing a city highway and it just grew as more immigrants flooded the area.

#10 Complexo do Alemao, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

An interlocking collection of shantytowns in the midst of the city, Alemão has been dubbed as one of Rio’s most violent favelas. However, in preparation to the World Cup and the Olympics, the authorities are cracking down on the violent gangs operating in the area. Despite the efforts of several branches of the army and police, this favela is largely beyond control.

#9 Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico

The Iztapalapa district has some of the worst crime rates in Mexico City. It also has the highest rates of violence against women. Apart from gang-related problems, the area also suffers from drug trafficking and the lack of water. As a result of all these problems, there is at least one murder per every two days in Iztapalapa.

#8 Ferghana Valley

Located at the confluence of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, Ferghana Valley is a powder keg of Islamic terrorism and a safe haven for rebels who have fought beside the Taliban in Afghanistan and al Qaeda in Waziristan. With 11 million inhabitants, Ferghana Valley is the largest population center of Central Asia. Numerous uprisings over the last few years have resulted in deadly clashes between rebels and government forces, fleeing refugees, and humanitarian crises.

#7 Spanish Town, Jamaica

With a small population of just over 160,000 people, Spanish Town is known as the most violent place in Jamaica. Most murders occurring in the area are gang-related and driven by poverty. In Spanish Town, crime is often the only way that young men can make a living.

#6 Barrio Santa Fe, Bogota, Colombia

Bogotá remains the main port for drugs and weapons going from Colombia to Panama and points north. Located in downtown Bogotá, Barrio Santa Fe is an area where cocaine, crack, and heroin are available in every storefront. An even greater danger to tourists is posed by burundanga, a Colombian criminal’s drug that makes you agreeable to all requests and wipes your memory.

#5 La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico

La Perla one of the most crime-ridden areas in the notorious city of San Juan. The Puerto Rican government neglected the area in the hope that residents would eventually allow the land to be developed. However, this policy backfired, and the run-down shantytown has acquired a reputation for crime, violence, and drug trafficking.

#4 Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia-Alania, Russia

The capital city of the southern Russian republic of North Ossetia-Alania is also a combat center of a still-active independence movement. The US State Department strongly cautions Americans to avoid this part of the world and there is a good reason for these measures. The city is also the unofficial base of the Black Widows, a group of female suicide bombers who have terrorized Russia with deadly attacks on trains, subways, airplanes, concerts, and schools.

#3 Nyanga, Cape Town, South Africa

The township of Nyanga is one of the most dangerous places in the country of South Africa, and there appears to be around 120 criminal gangs operating in the Cape Flats. The high crime rate has been blamed on factors like alcohol abuse, high dropout rates, and unemployment, which is as high as 70 percent in this area.

#2 Tiraspol, Moldova

The capital of the outlaw enclave of Transdniester is the epicenter of the global trade in illegal weapons. Locals and tourists have to be on guard at all times when in Tiraspol. This is a place where people can easily disappear and never return.

#1 East St. Louis, Illinois, USA

East St. Louis in Illinois has the highest crime rate in America. The lack of jobs and opportunities has made the population give up hope and abandon the area in the 1970s. The remaining 27 thousand locals face the problems of heavy industry closures, deep-rooted racial tensions dating back to the civil rights movement, and also underfunded police force.