.
Join Simon Calder’s complimentary travel newsletter for professional tips and cost-saving deals.
Receive Simon Calder’s Travel newsletter via email.
A recent study has uncovered the top countries with the highest risk for visitors in 2024.
According to International SOS, a medical and security consultancy, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Somalia were identified as the most dangerous countries in the 2024 risk map.
Each year, the map evaluates different elements to provide information to travelers and companies about potential risks in countries all over the world.
It combines medical and security evaluations to demonstrate the effects of current events, such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.
For the first time this year, the map now includes rankings that take into account the hazards of climate change. This decision was made after International SOS noticed an increase in the number of alerts related to climate issues being sent to their clients, as higher temperatures around the globe were causing health risks to escalate.
The data, compiled by Inform (a collaboration between the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change and Joint Research Centre of European Commission), estimates the future risk of humanitarian crises and disasters caused by climate change.
Dr. Irene Lai, the global medical director at International SOS, stated that the extreme heat events experienced this year, including the first named heatwave Cerberus in Europe, could potentially become more frequent.
Not only does extreme heat have physical consequences, but it can also greatly impact mental well-being. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to prepare for this by adjusting our lifestyle and work practices in order to safeguard our health. Additionally, measures should be taken to slow down and ultimately reverse the increasing trend of high temperatures.
Countries were graded for each category of risk – medical, security and climate change – on a five-level scale ranging from “low” to “very high” for medical and climate change, and “insignificant” to “extreme” for security.
The countries of Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Somalia all received the highest warning level of “extreme” for security concerns.
Some regions in Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Russia, and the Sahel experienced a higher level of security risk, while Ecuador and certain areas of Colombia also saw a rise in criminal activity and turmoil.
Nevertheless, there has been a decline in risk ratings for El Salvador and certain areas in Nepal due to consistent decrease in several risk factors.
Europe is home to the safest countries, including Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, and Denmark.
In the field of “medicine,” the nations identified as having a “very high” risk are Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, North Korea, Palestinian Territories, Haiti, Libya, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Burundi, and Somalia.
Countries at “very high” risk when it comes to climate change include: Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Chad, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique.
The United Kingdom was given a “low” assessment in all three risk categories.
Source: independent.co.uk
