Visiting strife-ravaged destinations may produce lots of interesting stories, but claims that it benefits local people may be exaggerated
By Catherine Bennett
After bumping about the lower end of the human development index for a few years, Sierra Leone again arrived at the bottom in November: 177th out of 177. Introducing its latest figures, the UN Development Programme explained how a combination of factors, including life expectancy, education and standard of living, helps establish whether a country provides "an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests." Life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 40. [ FULL STORY ]