Level 4 US Travel advisories. Photo: Shutterstock The United States Department of State has published an update to the list of countries that are at the highest travel warning level, Level 4: Do Not Travel.
According to the official announcement, this level of warning is issued for countries where there are serious risks to personal security or where the United States government's ability to provide consular assistance to its citizens is severely limited. The guidance to Americans is unequivocal: do not travel to these countries for any reason.
The list of countries currently defined as Level 4 includes: 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.
The State Department emphasizes that US travel warnings are divided into four levels, with Level 4 being the most severe and intended for situations of war, terrorism, kidnapping, serious crime, security instability, or significant limitations on the United States' ability to assist its citizens in the country.