Raising children in any part of the world can be challenging, but for families living in some of the world’s most challenging locations, the obstacles can be insurmountable. Amidst varying socio-economic and environmental factors, these families face formidable obstacles in providing for their children and creating a safe and nurturing environment for them to grow up in. This article will explore the harsh realities faced by families in some of the world’s most challenging locations, including conflict zones, refugee camps, extreme poverty, and areas affected by climate change.
Cape Town, South Africa
South Africa was named as the worst country in the world to bring up children between the ages of 5 and 14, in 2016 by UNICEF. It has the biggest child mortality rate (out of 100,000 South African children, 77 die). However, there is also a very high rate of homicide deaths in children. Cape Town, which is the capital city, is considered the nation’s most dangerous city.
Miami, Florida
Even though the weather highs might make you consider living here, it’s not the best place to raise a family. There is a low quality in schooling and healthcare, and there are little playgrounds for children. The housing costs are extortionate as well.
La Oroya, Peru
There are many problems facing Peru, such as poverty, poor access to health care and high crime rates. However, there are many children that are severely stunted due to heavy lead poisoning in the area. Out of all of the children, 99% of them have unacceptable levels of lead in their blood. This is definitely not a great place to raise a family.
Mogadishu, Somalia
Somalia is well known to be a terrible place to live, and so, we doubt that you’d be packing your bags to take your journey there, but just in case. Somalia is ranked as the most failed state in the entire world, and it’s been the same from 2009-2013. It is back at the top of the list from 2016. Most children in Somalia attend school for an average of two years.
Leicester, England
There are not even half as many dangers in Leicester, England as there might be in South Africa, but England as a whole has been listed as one of the worst places for children to grow up. It has been stated that moving to England has caused children to become less active, spending more time watching TV or playing video games. Leicester is known to have fewer schools, high crime rate and high unemployment.
Damascus, Syria
Just the same as Somalia, we doubt that you’d be looking to move even close to Syria. However, it is still ranked as one of the worst places to raise a family. There are mass amounts of threats of violence towards Syria, along with a difficult education system. There have been more than 6,500 schools that have been rendered unusable by bombs. It is also known that ISIS recruits children as young as the age of 7.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is known as the place of Rock ‘n Roll. However, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to want to raise your family there any time soon. There are a lot of attractions for children, including the Memphis Pink Palace planetarium and the Memphis Children’s museum. But, and this is the reason why you wouldn’t want to raise a family here… it has high unemployment rates and high crime. There are also only a handful of schools that have a rating above 8/10.
Vancouver, Canada
Even though Canada is known as one of the best places in the world to live, Vancouver is one of the least affordable cities and the third most expensive on the housing market. It isn’t the best place to raise a family, especially when Statistics Canada has named British Columbia to be the worst province for children.
San Bernardino, California
It might seem like paradise to be surrounded by constant sun and sand, but San Bernardino isn’t the best place to raise a family. On average, 1 in 10 adults are unemployed, crime is high and most of the schools are rated low in the state.
Sanaa, Yemen
Just the same as Syria, Yemen is known for child soldiers. There is an estimate of 800 children being recruited every year. It was estimated that in 2015, 2000 children were killed or injured in the civil war. Alongside this, there are children that are subject to severe malnutrition and a lack of clean water.
Birmingham, Alabama
Another city that can be named as one of the worst places to raise a family is Birmingham in Alabama. Everything is poorly rated, the schools, healthcare and recreational activities. There are also high rates of divorce, unemployment and crime. Alabama on a whole doesn’t rank very well.
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