I am working with a client in Equatorial Guinea (W. Africa) and that part of the world isn’t the safest for several reasons: political unrest, health issues, etc. For example, this client won’t allow a family to come over if they have children due to the risk of Malaria. Their employees live on a secure compound and they only recommend going into the city in groups and during the daytime.They ship in fresh meats, fruits and vegatables due to the sanitary conditions in local markets.
I have traveled on business and worked in Somalia, Columbia, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh and all are livable if you take the right precautions. One of the most important things to being in public in areas like that is to be always vigilant and always aware of what is going on around you—-and don’t walk about with your SLR digital camera hanging around your neck in plain sight.