Eritrea - Economic sectors

At the time of independence, Eritrea lacked the basic infrastructure and resources to address its many economic problems. Efforts to improve the infrastructure and develop its backward agriculture, industry, and services have had limited success, despite foreign assistance. Drought devastated agriculture, and war further damaged the inadequate infrastructure, destroyed many farms, and exhausted financial resources. The result was a massive internal displacement of civilians and the flight of large numbers of Eritreans to neighboring Sudan. Thus, by 2000, the country was unable to meet the basic needs of its population. In the wake of such devastation, Eritrea has had to depend on foreign aid and a large quantity of imports for its survival, and most of its limited developmental projects have been placed on hold.