The United States has upgraded its travel warnings for 23 countries to the highest alert level, directing American citizens to avoid these nations entirely due to armed conflict, terrorism or the government's inability to help its people there.
The State Department released the updated advisory on Thursday through its TravelGov social media account, marking these destinations as Level 4: Do Not Travel.
According to the department, Level 4 warnings go out when local conditions create severe risks to travellers or when the US government can't effectively assist its citizens. "We issue Travel Advisories with Levels 1–4.
Level 4 means DO NOT TRAVEL," the State Department said.
The 23 countries now under Level 4 include Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burma, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine and Yemen.
Nearly half the list comprises African nations. Eleven countries on the continent face Level 4 restrictions: Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
Nigeria itself remains under Level 3: Reconsider Travel, but nine states have drawn stricter Level 4 warnings. The northern states of Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and northern Adamawa fall under this category.
In the South-South and South-East, Level 4 applies to Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and Rivers states, though Port Harcourt is exempted from the warning.
The State Department cited crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest and weak healthcare as reasons Americans should reconsider visiting Nigeria overall.
Nigeria's government has pushed back against the assessment, telling reporters the US advisory reflects Washington's internal risk protocols rather than any objective evaluation of national security conditions.
