The United States Department of State has placed 23 countries on its highest travel warning level, advising Americans not to visit them for any reason.
The updated advisory, released on Saturday through the department’s TravelGov X account, classified the countries under Level 4, which is the most serious travel warning issued by the US government.
According to the State Department, a Level 4 advisory is issued when security conditions are extremely dangerous or when the US government has limited ability to assist its citizens in those locations.
The department stated that Level 4 means “Do Not Travel” and is reserved for places facing severe security threats such as war, terrorism, crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, or other serious risks.
The 23 countries on the list are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, 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.
The warning comes months after the US maintained Nigeria at Level 3, which advises Americans to reconsider travelling to the country. However, some Nigerian states remain under the stricter Level 4 advisory due to ongoing security challenges.
The State Department regularly reviews travel conditions around the world and updates its advisories to help US citizens make informed decisions before travelling abroad.
