I wish you weren’t there? The world’s most dangerous countries to visit in 2024 – including South Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan – are revealed in a new interactive global security map

South Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan are among the most dangerous countries in the world to visit in 2024, it has emerged.

This is evident from an annual interactive map that shows where travelers are most likely to face security threats based on the risk of political violence, social unrest, violent and petty crimes and, this year, the impact of climate change.

Greenland, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Luxembourg are among the safest places to visit. Consultancy International SOS says the safety risks there are ‘insignificant’.

In contrast, countries such as Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Iraq are among the most dangerous to visit, while these countries are classified as countries of ‘extreme’ security risk.

International SOS pointed out how ‘new and evolving conflicts’ in Gaza, Lebanon, Russia and the entire Sahel region of Africa have seen the risk assessment for these countries increase.

In the Central and South American countries of Venezuela, Honduras and Haiti, the security risk to travelers is considered ‘high’ due to a continued increase in crime and unrest.

Norway, Finland and Iceland, on the other hand, are all labeled as countries with a low risk of medical and safety issues, meaning they are the safest – along with countries like Switzerland and Greenland.

When it comes to health, countries with the highest risk of contracting medical problems or diseases include the African countries of Niger, Sudan, Libya, Central African Republic, Somalia and Sierra Leone.

Yemen was also labeled as a high-risk country when it came to health, along with Iraq, Syria and North Korea.

At the other end of the rankings, the most low disease risk places are in Europe, Canada, the US, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Chile.

With the risk map for 2024, International SOS says it wants to ‘provide a better insight into the broader safety situation in countries through which employees may travel or work’.

The map “helps better inform organizations so they can create tailored solutions to mitigate the specific risks their workforce may face,” the consultancy said.

Sally Llewellyn, Global Security Director at International SOS, said: “Over the coming year, geopolitical tensions, unrest and political instability are expected to impact business operations.

‘This is reflected in the map with the Sahel, parts of the Middle East and Ukraine in the ‘high’ or ‘extreme’ security risk category.

‘International SOS continues to support organizations operating in these locations, including by providing verified information and advice on how such risks will impact their workforce or supporting evacuations where necessary.’

This year, for the first time, International SOS has included a category focusing on the impact of climate change on countries around the world.

International SOS said it is “seeing an increasing trend in the number of climate-related alerts issued to customers, as rising global temperatures increase health risks around the world.”

MEDICAL RISK: This map shows countries categorized by medical risk, with low marked in green, medium in yellow, variable in light purple, high in orange and very high in red

CLIMATE CHANGE RISK: This map shows countries categorized by climate change risks, marked very low in light purple, low in light pink, medium in red, high in purple, very high in dark purple

In Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy the risk of climate change is considered ‘low’, but in countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria the risk is ‘very high’.

While the risk of climate change is ‘low’ for most European countries, International SOS pointed out how this summer’s ‘Cerberus’ heatwave wreaked havoc on the continent.

Temperatures consistently reached above 40 degrees Celsius for days, with tourists in Rome fainting from the heat.

International SOS said it issued 80 percent more medical alerts related to climate change factors in 2023 compared to 2022. “This statistic shows how important the issue is for companies and their leaders,” the company said.

Dr. Irene Lai, global medical director at International SOS, said: ‘Just as an example, this year’s extreme heat, with the first ever ‘Cerberus’ heatwave hitting Europe, could become commonplace.

‘In addition to the physical effects of extreme heat, there can be significant negative consequences for mental health.

“It is essential that businesses plan for this, adapting the way we live and work to protect health, while taking steps to slow and ultimately reverse the trend of rising temperatures.”

The 2024 risk map also focuses on the ‘medical risk’ of traveling to countries around the world. The countries labeled as ‘very high’ risk are Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Yemen and Gaza, to name a few.

International SOS pointed out that there were notable improvements in medical risk in Bolivia and Ivory Coast this year.

This was largely based on the gradual improvement of access to quality medical care, especially in the major cities of the two countries.