022318 – World Status Report

Take Enhanced Precautions

U.S. Department of State

• Ethiopia.  Exercise increased caution when traveling in Ethiopia due to the potential for civil unrest and communications disruptions. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
• Guinea. Exercise increased caution in Guinea due to civil unrest. Sporadic demonstrations continue to occur across the country. Some have turned violent, resulting in injuries and several fatalities. Demonstrators have also attacked vehicles when drivers attempted to pass through or around the protests. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
• Mauritania.  Reconsider Travel to Mauritania due to crime and terrorism. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
• Trinidad and Tobago.  Exercise increased caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to crime and terrorism.  Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Government of Canada

• Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa). Safety and security – peaceful march on February 25.  The Comité laïc catholique (secular catholic committee) has called for a peaceful march on February 25, 2018. Telecommunications could be disrupted. Avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings. Even peaceful demonstrations can suddenly turn violent.
• Ethiopia. Safety and security – state of emergency. The Government of Ethiopia declared the state of emergency on February 16, 2018. Restrictions on gatherings and curfews could be imposed. Telecommunications could be disrupted. Monitor the media and follow the instructions of local authorities.

GOV.UK

• Cape Town. Summary – updated information on water restrictions; the City of Cape Town has cautioned that water restrictions may become more severe in July. After that period you shouldn’t assume an unrestricted supply of potable water.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Summary – there have been calls for peaceful political protests to be held across the DRC on Sunday 25 February; you should remain vigilant and be aware of disruptions to journeys around Kinshasa and other large cities; Internet and phone services may be interrupted; you should monitor local news and media.
• Ethiopia. Summary – On 16 February 2018 Ethiopia declared a State of Emergency. If you are in Ethiopia remain aware of your surroundings and follow the advice of local authorities.
• Estonia, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania. Terrorism section and summary – updated information and advice about the threat from terrorism, reflecting an increased threat.
• Indonesia.  Natural disasters section and summary – updated information and advice on volcanic activity in Indonesia; the FCO now advise against all travel to within 7km of the Mount Sinabung crater in North Sumatra, in addition to existing advice against all travel within 4km of the Mount Agung crater in east Bali; these are exclusion zones put into place by the local authorities.
• Kenya.  Summary – President Kenyatta was inaugurated for a second five year term on 28 November 2017 following a tense election period which saw an increase in protests across the country, some of which turned violent. Political tensions remain high and further demonstrations and clashes are possible.
• Montenegro. Summary – in the early hours of 22 February there was a grenade attack on the US embassy compound premises in Podgorica. The attacker died at the scene, there were no other casualties. The Montenegrin authorities are investigating the incident. You should avoid the area around the US embassy for the time being and follow the advice of the local authorities.
• Poland. Terrorism section and summary – updated information on the threat from terrorism in Poland, reflecting an increased threat.
• South Africa.  Terrorism section – updated information on the terrorist threat from extremists linked to Daesh; in February 2018, two South African-British dual nationals were kidnapped; Safety and security section (Criminal kidnaps) – there’s an increasing threat of kidnap throughout South Africa; kidnaps can be for financial gain or motivated by criminality; British nationals can be perceived as being wealthier than locals and may be at particular risk of kidnap for financial gain.
• Togo. Summary – updated information on ongoing political tensions in Togo; you should exercise caution, avoid crowds and demonstrations and monitor local media.
• Turkey.  Local law and customs section – update on local law and customs; the possession, sale and export of antiquities is against the law and carries a prison sentence of 5 to 12 years as well as a substantial fine. It’s also an offence to insult the Turkish nation or the national flag, or to deface or tear up currency. If you are convicted of any of these offences you could face a prison sentence of between 6 months and 3 years.

The risk information in this report is retrieved from U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other professional sources as listed in the post. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers. Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.