Where we work
There are only two countries in the world with lower poverty indices than Afghanistan - the number of people with access to safe drinking water source is one of the lowest in the world (23%)
Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and the most unequal in Latin America, with 15% of the population still not having regular access to water
Brazil is the fifth largest and ninth-wealthiest country in the world, yet 54 million Brazilians live below the poverty line
The brutal Khmer Rouge regime, and the aftermath of the war in neighbouring Vietnam, left agriculture, social services and roads badly damaged and the country facing massive human and economic need.
Colombia is a country ravaged by violent conflict between the state and guerrilla groups, with its citizens suffering from gross human rights violations
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a vast country with immense mineral wealth and natural resources
East Timor was the first new nation of the 21st century, gaining independence in May 2002, but remains one of the world’s poorest nations
Almost one-quarter of El Salvador’s six million population lives on less than $1 per day, and many families rely on money from relatives in the US
Political and economic troubles, and outbreaks of conflict, have dogged Eritrea since it achieved independence from Ethiopia after decades of war in 1993. Extreme poverty now exists across the country.
CAFOD/Trocaire's Seamus Jeffreson is visiting local projects around the country to see how your money is helping to change lives for the better
A long civil war finally ended in 1996, but neither peace nor prosperity has followed - more than one-third of the population live on less than $2 a day
With its tropical rainforest and spectacular waterfalls, Guyana is a potentially rich and lucrative eco-tourist destination. Yet more than half the population live in poverty and unemployment rates are at an all-time high
While the richest 20 per cent of Hondurans receive nearly two-thirds of the national income, the poorest 20 per cent receive less than three per cent
India is home to a sixth of the world’s population – home to 1.1 billion people and is the world’s largest democracy
Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation and is home to the largest Muslim community in the world - but has faced unprecedented turmoil
Iraq was once one of the most prosperous developing countries. But after 12 years of UN-imposed economic sanctions and two Gulf Wars, many of Iraq's 27 million people have become impoverished.
Though Kenya is predominantly an agricultural country, fertile, arable land is scarce and competition for resources often leads to conflict and environmental damage as land is overused
Poverty, ill health and illiteracy are all on the rise for Palestinians in Lebanon – 60 per cent of them are living below the official UN poverty line.
Fourteen years of war ended in 2003 - devastated by years of conflict, young Liberians are now starting to learn what life is like in peacetime
Corruption, poor human rights and unfair trade are rife and, despite promises of social justice and reform, many have become disappointed at the slow pace of change
It is estimated that more than 70% of its 19 million people live below the poverty line, with more than half the population living on less than $1 a day
One of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere, with an estimated 4.3 million people living in poverty. Half the active population is unemployed or underemployed
Despite natural resources such as oil, tin, iron and coal, more than 70% of Nigeria’s population lives on less than $1 per day, and it ranks 159 in the 2006 UN human development index
On 8 October 2005, a massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit northern Pakistan, killing 73,320, injuring 70,000 and leaving more than 3.3 million homeless
Since the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip by Israel following the 1967 Six-day War, Palestinians have seen their standard of living fall; today, almost three quarters of the population live below the UN poverty line.
Paraguay is a landlocked country with 95% of the population being mixed Spanish and Guaraní Indian descent (known as “mestizos”). The country faces many ongoing economic, social, and political challenges
Although democracy is improving and levels of corruption are falling, around half the population still live in poverty, with 15 per cent in extreme poverty
In the particularly poor central, north and western parts of the island of Mindanao, where CAFOD works, poverty is exacerbated by conflict.
Sierra Leone is recovering from a long, bitter and vicious civil war which devastated communities and the lives of its citizens
Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991, when the former President was overthrown by opposing clans. What followed has been over a decade and a half of bitter warfare
Decades of violent conflict has killed more than 100,000 people, left many more injured and homeless, and massively damaged the economy and social infrastructure
Since independence in 1956, life in Sudan has been dominated by the war over a complex and changing set of issues, including control over land and oil
Tanzania is world-renowned as a beautiful country, yet it is also one of the poorest, where average life expectancy is just 46 years
Though economic reform has been attempted, Uganda has suffered the consequences of high indebtedness that has diverted funds away from education and health services
Declining copper prices and prolonged drought have seriously damaged Zambia's economy, and three-quarters of its people now live on less than 60 pence per day


![Young people sharing their views in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [Annie Bungeroth]](/var/storage/images/where_we_work/africa/ethiopia/images/daniel_abate_addis_ababa/9133-2-eng-GB/daniel_abate_addis_ababa_0column50_04space_landscape.jpg)
![Gabriel Murwa and his wife with their last remaining cow from a herd of 100. The others have all died. [Richard Wainwright]](/var/storage/images/where_we_work/africa/kenya/images/gabriel_murwa_and_his_wife_with_their_last_remaining_cow/290005-2-eng-GB/gabriel_murwa_and_his_wife_with_their_last_remaining_cow_0column50_04space_landscape.jpg)
![More than 700 campaigners rallied before delivering anti-poverty messages to every EU embassy in London [CAFOD]](/var/storage/images/media_folder/cafod/images/campaign_images/trade_justice_campaign_images/embassy_bus/199633-2-eng-GB/embassy_bus_0column50_04space_landscape.jpg)
![Fatna (right) brings home wood that she and some neighbours have harvested from outside the camp in Kubum, south Darfur [Paul Jeffery/ACT/Caritas]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/sudan/images/fatna-right-brings-home-wood/247664-2-eng-GB/fatna-right-brings-home-wood_0column50_04space_landscape.jpg)
![Niccollette and Shrirvanie film the aftermath of the Guyanan floods, with support from CAFOD partner Guyana Human Rights Association [CAFOD]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/what-we-do/communications/images/after-guyana-floods/679742-1-eng-GB/after-guyana-floods_0column50_04space_landscape.jpg)

![Joshna Rani in her small vegetable garden which has helped change her food habits [CAFOD]](/var/storage/images/where_we_work/asia/bangladesh/images/joshna_rani_in_her_vegetable_garden/43352-2-eng-GB/joshna_rani_in_her_vegetable_garden_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg)
![Liberate Muhagihana, widowed in the genocide, counsels Colette Nusaburasoni who lost all of her children [Annie Bungeroth]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/rwanda/images/two-bereaved-rwandan-women/9742-2-eng-GB/two-bereaved-rwandan-women_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg)
![Johannah Mooki volunteers for a home-based care programme for children affected by HIV and AIDS [Simon Rawles]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/south-africa/images/woman-with-blankets-/4033-2-eng-GB/woman-with-blankets-_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg)
![89-year-old Mlanzi is blind and cares for five grandchildren - one of which, Janet, is pictured with her (names have been changed) [Fiona Callister/CAFOD]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/zimbabwe/images/mlanzi-and-janet/257773-3-eng-GB/mlanzi-and-janet_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg)
