The Economist Intelligence Unit conducted a livability survey to determine which cities around the world "provide the best or worst living conditions."
Cities with major conflicts tended to score the lowest. Military and political conflicts weigh heavily on livability because they adversely affect many other factors as well: infrastructure is destroyed; hospitals are supersaturated with the wounded and dead; and economic productivity drops.
The survey notes that it is "designed to address a range of cities or business centers that people might want to live in or visit," and consequently, it excluded hotspots like Kabul, Afghanistan, and Baghdad.
10. Dakar
Country: Senegal
EIU Rank: 130
The EIU report gave the capital of Senegal low scores for healthcare (41.7) and infrastructure (37.5).
According to an operations officer at the World Bank Group's International Finance Corporation, "about 65 percent of people [in Senegal] do not have any healthcare coverage whatsoever." The IFC is working to help provide low-cost health insurance to students and informal sector employees in Senegal.
Dakar recently lifted a ban on solar power, which has led to lowered longterm energy costs for some people.
9. Abidjan
Country: Cote d'Ivoire
EIU Rank: 131
Abidjan, one of the largest French-speaking cities in the world, scored low on stability (30). The Ivory Coast routinely scores low on the Corruption Index, and this year it was ranked 136th with a score of 27.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) economists said Abidjan was one of the "Next 10" biggest cities in sub-Saharan Africa that investors should keep their eye on.
8. Tripoli
Country: Libya
EIU Rank: 132
Tripoli, Libya's capital and largest city, was a focal point throughout the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
In May 2014, general Khalifa Haftar launched a military assault against Islamist groups in Benghazi. Since then, Tripoli has once again been the site of turmoil, including an unverified "bombing" on Monday by an unidentified plane.
Tripoli scored low of culture & environment (37), healthcare (41.7), and stability (45).
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