As it turns out, South Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan are among the most dangerous countries on earth to visit in 2024.
That's according to an annual interactive map that shows where travelers are most likely to face security threats due to the risk of political violence, social unrest, violent and petty crime and, this year, the impacts of climate change.
The safest countries to visit include Greenland, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Luxembourg, with consultancy International SOS describing security threats there as “negligible”.
In contrast, countries such as Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Iraq are among the most dangerous countries to visit and these countries are considered to have an “extreme” security risk.
International SOS noted that “new and evolving conflicts” in Gaza, Lebanon, Russia and across Africa’s Sahel region have caused these countries’ risk ratings to rise.
SECURITY RISK: This map shows countries categorized by security risks, with “Insignificant” marked in green, “Low” in yellow, “Medium” in orange, “High” in red, and “Extreme” in dark purple
In the Central and South American countries of Venezuela, Honduras and Haiti, the security risk to travelers is considered “high” due to a steady increase in crime and unrest.
In contrast, Norway, Finland and Iceland are considered 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, the African countries of Niger, Sudan, Libya, Central African Republic, Somalia and Sierra Leone are the countries with the highest risk of developing medical problems or diseases.
Yemen has also been classified as a high-risk country in terms of health, alongside Iraq, Syria and North Korea.
At the other end of the rankings, most places with low disease risk are in Europe, Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Chile.
With the 2024 Risk Map, International SOS says it aims to provide a “better understanding of the broader security situation in countries through which employees may travel or work.”
The map “helps better inform organizations so they can develop tailored solutions to mitigate the specific risks their employees may face,” the consultancy said.
Sally Llewellyn, global security director at International SOS, said: “Geopolitical tensions, unrest and political instability are likely to have an impact on business operations in the coming year.”
“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 introduced a category focused on the impact of climate change on nations around the world.
International SOS said it was 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 risk: “Very Low” in light purple, “Low” in light pink, “Medium” in red, “High” in purple, “Very High” in dark purple
In the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, the risk from climate change is rated as “low”, but in countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria the risk is “very high”.
While the risk posed by climate change is “low” for most European countries, International SOS highlighted how the “Cerberus” heatwave wreaked havoc on the continent this summer.
Temperatures were consistently above 40°C 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 to companies and their leaders,” the company said.
Dr. Irene Lai, global medical director at International SOS, said: “As just one example, this year’s extreme heat events, with the first heatwave known as Cerberus hitting Europe, could become commonplace.”
“In addition to the physical effects of extreme heat, there can be significant negative mental health impacts.”
“It is imperative that companies plan for this by adapting the way we live and work to protect health, while taking action to slow and eventually reverse the trend of rising temperatures.”
The 2024 risk map also focuses on the “medical risk” of traveling to countries around the world. Countries with a “very high” risk include Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Yemen and Gaza.
International SOS noted that there have been notable improvements in medical risks in Bolivia and Ivory Coast this year.
This was largely due to gradual improvements in access to quality medical care, particularly in major cities in both countries.