Full List: US places 23 countries on highest ‘Do Not Travel’ alert

What the report says

Vanguard reported that the United States Department of State has updated its travel guidance, placing 23 countries under its highest warning category, Level 4, which advises U.S. citizens not to travel. The report said the revised advisory was published on Thursday and seen on Saturday through the department’s TravelGov account on X. The State Department describes Level 4 as applying where local conditions create severe risks or where U.S. officials may have limited ability to assist Americans.

The countries listed by Vanguard as being under the Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory are Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burma/Myanmar, 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. Eleven of the listed countries are in Africa: Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Libya, Mali, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

Vanguard also noted that Nigeria remains under a lower nationwide Level 3 advisory, meaning Americans are urged to reconsider travel, while specific Nigerian states are classified at Level 4 because of security concerns. The affected areas cited include several northern states such as Borno, Yobe and northern Adamawa, as well as South-East and South-South states including Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and Rivers, excluding Port Harcourt.

According to the report, the U.S. advisory cites risks in Nigeria including crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest and uneven healthcare access. Vanguard said the Nigerian government rejected the assessment as a routine U.S. precaution rather than an overall measure of national security conditions.