Africa, northern and eastern

"The countries of northern and eastern Africa have fought hard over the years to become independent countries. Because of this struggle, individual rights and freedoms as well as standards of living have suffered in many of these countries. The economies of these countries often dictate the social progress they have made. In some countries where urbanization has increased, access to safe drinking water and medical care have also increased, for example. Since some of the countries in northern and eastern Africa are considered the poorest in the world, many nonprofit and governmental agencies have partnered with their governments to assist them. Some programs help them obtain food; others assist with medical resources; while still others help to provide money to fund the building of much-needed infrastructure"--Amazon.com.