U.S. issued ‘do not travel’ warnings for 22 countries

The U.S. Department of State has issued updated travel advisories to help keep American citizens safe while abroad. These warnings use a four-level tier system to guide travelers based on the security risks in each country — ranging from routine caution to an outright “do not travel” alert.

Advisory levels

The travel advisory system includes four categories, starting with “exercise normal precautions.” This is the lowest risk level, but still warns of conditions that may differ from the U.S. The next level is “exercise increased caution,” which advises awareness of heightened risks. Level 3, “reconsider travel,” recommends avoiding the country unless absolutely necessary due to serious safety threats. “Do not travel,” is the highest warning level, reserved for countries with extreme, life-threatening risks. In many cases, the U.S. government may have little or no ability to assist citizens during emergencies.

‘Do not travel’

In the last two years, 22 countries have received a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory. These warnings are typically due to risks such as armed conflict, terrorism, civil unrest, crime or kidnapping. The first Level 4 warning in this timeframe came on April 22, 2023, when the U.S. advised Americans not to travel to Sudan. “On April 22, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations, and the Department of State ordered the departure of U.S. direct hire employees and eligible family members from Embassy Khartoum due to the continued threat of armed conflict in Sudan. The U.S. government cannot provide routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Sudan, due to the current security situation,” the U.S. said.

Latest advisory

The most recent country to be added to the Level 4 list is Lebanon, due to multiple reported threats including crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, unexploded landmines and the risk of armed conflict.

Full list of banned countries

As of now, the 22 countries on the Level 4 “do not travel” list are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Mali, North Kora, Libya, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.

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