The United States Department of State has placed 23 countries under its highest travel warning, Level 4.
In the revised advisory published on Saturday via the department’s TravelGov X account, the US government advised American citizens not to visit the listed destinations under any circumstances.
The US explained that a Level 4 designation applies to countries where security conditions pose serious risks or where its ability to provide assistance to American citizens is severely limited.
“We issue Travel Advisories with Levels 1–4. Level 4 means DO NOT TRAVEL. We assign Level 4 based on local conditions and/or our limited ability to help Americans there. These places are dangerous. Do not go for ANY reason.” the department said.
Countries in the list are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya.
Others include Mali, Niger, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine and Yemen.
This came a few months after the State Department maintained Nigeria under Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel to the country, while classifying several Nigerian states under the more severe Level 4 advisory because of ongoing security concerns.