News Watch
Infighting in Papua New Guinea
In Papua New Guinea, tribal clashes rarely occur in densely populated areas, but when a security guard was killed in a hotel brawl in Mount Hagen on Feb.
Ebola in Uganda
As of Jan. 3, 2008, 148 people had become ill and 37 people had died of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in western Uganda’s Bundibugyo district in an outbreak that may have begun as early as August 2007.
Democratic Republic of Congo & rebels call truce
In a hopeful move, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Jan. 21, 2008, reached an agreement with rebel generals to end hostilities.
Chikungunya fever in Singapore
As of Jan. 25, 2008, 11 cases of chikungunya fever had been reported in Singapore. The clustering of cases in a small area suggests local transmission of chikungunya virus through mosquitoes.
Thailand concerns
Muslim insurgents have been acting in Thailand’s southern provinces for four years now, creating risks for those traveling overland in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla provinces. (Coastal resort areas have not been affected.)
Dengue in Paraguay
In the month of January 2008, 150 suspected cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, were reported in Paraguay. During 2007 in Paraguay, 27,000 cases were registered, 17 of them fatal.
Chad clashes, banditry
The State Department advises avoiding travel to eastern Chad and the Chad/Central African Republic border area.
Current warnings for March 2008
As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 28 destinations: Eritrea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Iran, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Somali
Mauritania murders
Following the murder of four French tourists in Mauritania in December 2007, two suspects were captured in Guinea-Bissau and returned to Mauritania to face trial and one is still at large. Two of the three are suspected to be Islamic extremists allied with al Qaida.
Kenya violence
On Feb. 1, an agreement to stop the violence in Kenya within 14 days was reached after Kofi Annan met with parties of the two political opponents.
Yellow fever in Brazil
In Brazil, from Dec. 1, 2007, to Jan. 23, 2008, 18 cases of yellow fever were reported, including nine deaths. Mostly, inland rather than coastal areas are affected, with expansion recently to the northern part of Espiritu Santo and the western part of Santa Catarina states.
To be aware of in Iran
Some elements of the Iranian regime and the population remain hostile to the United States. As a result, American citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran.
Malaria in Southern Africa
The World Health Organization has issued a warning of higher risk of malaria for the region of Southern Africa because of unusually wet weather. Countries affected include Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
Algeria risky
Travel to Algeria poses a risk to personal safety, the Department of State says. Sustained small-scale terrorist attacks occur regularly, particularly in northeastern Algeria.
Cyclone hit Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, Cyclone Sidr wiped out villages, infrastructure, livestock and crops and killed nearly 3,300 people in November 2007. The worst-affected districts were in the Bay of Bengal, including Patuakhali, Barguna, Bagerhat, Barisal and Pirojpur.
Violence in Kenya
The social upheaval in Kenya following the disputed election in January resulted in hundreds of deaths from rioting and possible retribution attacks. Thousands of people were displaced, and at press time the situation remained volatile.
Current warnings for February 2008
As ITN went to press, the State Department had travel warnings on 28 destinations: Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Somalia, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Lebanon, Indonesia, Yemen, Nepal, Pakistan, Syria, Timor-Leste, Sudan, Haiti, Central African Republi
Côte d’Ivoire unrest
With periodic episodes of political unrest and violence, the security situation throughout Côte d’Ivoire continues to be poor and unpredictable, particularly in the western part of the country. Special care should be taken when traveling outside Abidjan.
Indonesia floods, landslides
Regions of Indonesia were hit by the worst landslides in 25 years in December, destroying villages and roads and killing more than 81 people.
India bombings
In the region of Uttar Pradesh in northern India, three civil courts in the cities of Varanasi, Lucknow and Faizabad were targeted with synchronized blasts on Nov. 23, 2007, that killed at least 13 people.