2023-11-27 15:57:32
HomeWorld
PrintShare
The Federal Foreign Office is currently issuing travel warnings for more than three dozen countries. These also include some popular holiday destinations.
Berlin – Germany is shivering towards Christmas in the freezing cold. Given the early onset of winter, quite a few citizens are likely to move to warmer distances. Further south, sun, sand and sea still tempt you with pleasant temperatures.
Vacation in November or December: Travel warnings apply to 38 countries
If you want to escape the cold, you should think carefully about where you are going. After all, the world is in turmoil due to various wars and conflicts. The result: Some longed-for goals are currently out of the question. The Foreign Office lists 38 countries for which Travel or partial travel warnings apply (Stand: 25. November).
This also includes popular holiday destinations. Israel, for example, where the Middle East conflict flared up again after the massacre by fighters from the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas on October 7th. In Japan there are at least warnings against visiting the evacuated areas around the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.
Foreign Office warns against traveling to the Philippines: “Increased risk of kidnapping”
Haiti is experiencing unrest and foreigners could become targets of kidnappings, according to the warning. In the Caribbean island state, there is also a risk of being harmed in violent clashes between gangs, during protests or during looting, it is said.
At least some regions and areas in the Philippines should not be visited. There is “an increased risk of terrorist attacks and kidnappings, both on land and at sea”.
But many warnings also apply to African countries. For example in Ethiopia, where the government declared a six-month state of emergency for the Amhara region in August. Paramilitary units engage in armed clashes with the army.
Travel warnings for Algeria and Egypt: Certain parts of the country should be off-limits
For Algeria, there is a warning against “travel to the border areas with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Western Sahara”. It is even strongly advised against “tourist trips to the other Algerian Sahara areas, to the immediate border region with Morocco, and outside the districts of the larger cities in the northern part of the country, to rural areas and mountainous regions” if these tours are not accompanied by police protection.
Egypt is particularly popular with German holidaymakers, especially thanks to its sandy beaches. But here too, the Foreign Office warns against to travel to certain parts of the country. After all, Egypt borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, where Jerusalem’s troops have been trying to bring Hamas to its knees for weeks.
Lots going on on the beach: Alexandria is one of the preferred travel destinations in Egypt. © IMAGO/Xinhua
The north of the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian-Israeli border area – with the exception of Taba – and remote areas of the Sahara should not be traveled, according to Berlin. In addition, unaccompanied, individual excursions and overland trips in the south of the Sinai Peninsula are not recommended.
Vacation in Egypt: Foreign Office mentions incidents with police officers and missiles
In Egypt there are always pro-Palestinian demonstrations, sometimes with large numbers of participants. More such events can be expected, especially on Fridays after midday prayers. It is advised to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings of people.
The Foreign Office also mentions two incidents. On October 8, a police officer shot and killed two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian tour guide at a tourist site in Alexandria. The man was arrested. Several people were injured when a missile hit the towns of Taba and Nuweiba in Sinai on October 27th. They were probably misguided drones.
Foreign Office on Egypt: “Exercise particular caution”
Regardless, there is a risk of terrorist attacks nationwide. However, the last one was four years ago, when a car bomb exploded in the center of Cairo in August 2019, claiming at least 20 lives. In some cases, the terrorists also targeted foreign citizens.
Increased security checks can be expected, especially at night. During holidays such as Coptic Christmas on January 7th, people should avoid proximity to Coptic institutions. In principle, the Foreign Office states: “Exercise particular caution when traveling to Egypt, including the tourist areas on the Red Sea.” (mg)
1701102513
#Foreign #Office #warns #increased #danger