The United States Department of State has released an updated list of 23 countries that Americans are strongly advised not to visit, citing severe security risks and the limited ability of US authorities to provide assistance in those locations. The warning was issued through the US Department of State's Travel Advisory system, which classifies destinations from Level 1 to Level 4 based on safety conditions.
Countries on the Level 4 List
The countries placed under the highest Level 4 – Do Not Travel advisory are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Myanmar (Burma), Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine and Yemen. Nine African countries feature on this list: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
Reason for the Advisory
The State Department stressed that Americans should avoid travelling to these destinations regardless of the purpose of their visit. Explaining the decision, the department said the highest advisory is reserved for places where security conditions pose significant dangers or where the US government has limited capacity to assist its citizens. The official statement read: "Level 4 means DO NOT TRAVEL. We assign Level 4 based on local conditions and/or our limited ability to help Americans there. These places are dangerous. Do not go for ANY reason."
The US government urged travellers to check the latest travel advisory before making international travel plans, noting that security conditions can change quickly and advisories are updated whenever necessary.
