Brits urged to stay away from world’s ‘most dangerous countries’ in 2024
We Brits love a holiday but more and more of us are branching out from the traditional hotspots like Italy, Spain and Greece in the search for more unique experiences. Now, hearing that a pal is travelling to Albania, Macedonia, Thailand and other far-flung spots like South Africa is more common than ever.
However, while seeking out less common travelling destinations can be a fun adventure it’s still important to stay safe. While the gov.uk website states any countries that Brits are advised to stay away from lots still neglect to check it before booking flights.
The world’s leading security and health risk services company, International SOS, today released its Risk Map for 2024 as a warning system for holidaymakers. The map seeks to make travellers more aware of global risks so they can choose a safe spot to explore.
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The map looks at world issues like medical and security risks as well as climate change issues that may endanger holidaymakers while on their way around the world. Dangers such as conflict, humanitarian disasters and extreme weather are all taken into account.
Dr Irene Lai, Global Medical Director at International SOS comments, "Just one example, the extreme heat events this year, with the first ever named heatwave 'Cerberus' hitting Europe, may become commonplace. In addition to the physical impacts of extreme heat, there can be significant negative effects on mental health."
As part of the risk map, the five most dangerous countries have been revealed – and we would advise tourists to avoid them when planning a trip. Due to new and evolving conflicts, some of the most notable risk rating increases this year have been parts of Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Russia and across the Sahel. Ecuador and parts of Colombia have also increased following a consistent rise in criminality and unrest.
Sally Llewellyn, Global Security Director, at International SOS comments, "For the coming year, geopolitical tensions, unrest and political instability are expected to impact business operations. This is reflected in the map with the Sahel, parts of the Middle East and Ukraine in the ‘high’ or ‘extreme’ security risk category.
"International SOS continues to support organisations operating in these locations, including through providing verified information and advice on how such risks will affect their workforce or by supporting evacuations where needed."
Using data from the maps, the following countries could potentially be the riskiest to visit in 2024:
- South Sudan
- Afghanistan
- Syria
- Libya
- Somalia
Many of these countries were also considered dangerous in 2023, but some of the other most notable risk rating increases this year have been in parts of Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Russia and across the Sahel. We would advise travellers to avoid all of these areas when planning holidays for 2024 and you should always check any destination on gov.uk to check whether the area you plan to visit is safe.
All five nations were assigned a very high medical risk – the warning states: "Healthcare is almost non-existent or over-taxed. There may be very limited or no primary care, emergency care or dental services. Quality prescription drugs are frequently unavailable. Food and water-borne infections are common. Potentially life-threatening infectious diseases such as malaria and chorale may be persistently present and large outbreaks may occur."
Security was assessed to take into account "threats posed by political violence, social unrest and pandemic impact as well as violent and petty crimes”. Again all five were said to pose a very high risk to visitors.
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