US Level 4 travel warning reminder covers 23 countries

A travel-warning reminder highlights 23 countries covered by the United States' highest advisory category, Level 4: Do Not Travel. The reminder is not an announcement that all 23 advisories have just been issued or raised to that level.

The countries listed are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya. The list also includes Mali, Niger, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine and Yemen.

The State Department's current advisory directory lists those countries at Level 4, with different issue dates. It also lists Gaza separately as a Level 4 destination. The country count should therefore not be read as an exhaustive count of every destination or region carrying the highest warning.

Level 4 reflects life-threatening risks. Depending on the destination, the warnings concern armed conflict, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, health risks or detention. The department says US government help may be very limited or unavailable, including during an emergency, and advises US citizens not to travel or to leave when safe.

These advisories assess risks for US citizens and are not another country's travel rules. Travellers should check the current destination-specific notice before making plans, because conditions, local restrictions and advisory dates differ. A reminder of existing warnings does not establish a new worldwide change in travel policy.