Most of the cities that bring together diverse populations, while being places of great inspiration, commerce and community also contain danger. However, no city is free of crime, violence and diseases; some are clearly more affected than others.

The crime statistics of world’s ten most terrifying cities are shocking and overwhelming. With such a high rates of murder, robberies and violence, these cities abide the name of ‘the places of chaos and death’ or ‘the murder capitals of the world’.

Highest Crime Rate Cities

1. San Pedro Sula, Honduras

This city is plagued by crime in all its forms: gang violence, drug alliance killings and extensive extortion compounded by a fear of authorities. Honduras is now among the most dangerous places on Earth. No other country matches its rate of crime.

2. Mogadishu, Somalia

Of late, Somalia’s capital Mogadishu was undisputedly the world’s most dangerous city. Al Qaeda linked militants held sway over much of the city from 2007 until last August when African Union fighters pushed out al-Shabab, ending the daily grind of war.

3. Baghdad, Iraq

After being the world’s most dangerous place for years immediately after the US invasion, Baghdad has calmed down, just a bit. Years of bombings and counter bombings have destroyed most of the city’s infrastructure. Intermittent suicide bombings, random gunfire and roadside bombs continue to wreak havoc on the hapless citizens of the city by the Tigris.

4. Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuelan capital Caracas is a haven for drug trafficking. Robbery and petty crimes are commonplace with police having very little say or will to control the situation.

5. Nairobi, Kenya

There is a brutal threat of terrorism in Nairobi, with frequent attacks being carried out. Westerners are also warned of all but essential travel to low-income areas of the city, which experience high crime levels. Also, night time travel in the city is considered unsafe with mugging and looting being a routine affair.

6. 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. Prone to mugging, it is one of the most unsafe cities at night, especially for women. The high level of crime is attributed to the disparity between socioeconomic classes.

7. Karachi, Pakistan

There is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan, with several attacks taking place in Karachi in 2011-12. Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan and is also its largest seaport and financial hub. This former capital of Pakistan has been overrun by political violence, gang shootings, and even suicide bombings.

8. Belem, Brazil

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 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.

9. Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Mexico is a drug haven and the city of Ciudad Juarez is its unofficial capital. Drug traffickers are notoriously violent and do pretty much whatever they want. With police mostly corrupt, Ciudad Juarez is known as one of the most violent places in the world outside of war zones.

10. Sana’a, Yemen

Since the Mercer Survey in December, the security situation in Yemen has rapidly deteriorated, due to uprisings against the government and instability opening a door for terrorism. Both the State Department and the British Foreign Office are advising against all travel to Yemen and urging their citizens to leave while some commercial carriers are still flying there.