TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The world is ever-evolving, revealing a wide gap of discrepancies in safety, prosperity, and living conditions. While some individuals enjoy a life of privilege in stable, citizen-centric nations, others navigate daily challenges in the most dangerous countries in the world.
Whether you are a seasoned traveler, adventurous seeker, or merely history buff, being aware of the world’s unsafe countries can provide valuable insights and help you make informed travel decisions.
10 Most Unsafe Countries in the World
Global Guardian, World Population Review, CEOWorld Magazine highlighted South Sudan among the most dangerous countries in the world. Ranked based on the latest report of CEOWorld Magazine, here are the top ten of perilous travel destinations.
1. Somalia - Extreme Travel Risk
Somalia is cited as the most dangerous country in the world to travel, where governmental instability has led to the collapse of essential services, including healthcare and emergency response.
The relentless civil war against Al-Shabaab has deepened the nation’s crisis, triggering severe shortages of food and other fundamental necessities. Alarming statistics in 2023 indicate that nearly 54.4% of Somalia’s population is caught in one of the most catastrophic poverty conditions, grappling with extreme hardship and uncertainty for a long time.
2. South Sudan - Extreme Travel Risk
A Sub-Saharan Africa nation, South Sudan has been deemed dangerous and unsafe. Beyond the relentless internal conflicts, its people endure severe humanitarian crises, navigating daily threats of violence including assault and robbery. In recent years, the country remains engulfed in turmoil, with no clear resolution in sight, despite ongoing initiatives aimed at easing the suffering and restoring order.
3. Ukraine - Extreme Travel Risk
The intense turmoil between Ukraine and Russia has snowballed into an unending large-scale strife, instigating bigger issues of food insecurity, political instability, and widespread displacement. Nearly 30% of the Ukrainians are forced to forsake their homes, resulting in hundreds of refugees across the country. To worsen the situation, Russia has been adamant to penetrate Ukrainian territory with a series of deadly threats including drone and missile attacks.
4. Libya - Extreme Travel Risk
As a primary departure point for fleeing refugees from neighboring conflicting countries in Africa, Libya finds itself included in the most dangerous countries list. Safety is a luxurious lifestyle that’s difficult to achieve when the nation is constantly swarmed by major issues of persecution, violence, and displacements. The living conditions in Libya are not only awful for locals, but also for 250,000 refugees and 143,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
5. Sudan - Extreme Travel Risk
Since the major dispute between Mohammed Hemedti Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) broke out in April 2023, Sudan people have consistently witnessed a decline in their quality of life.
The massive interventions of confronting nations– Ukraine and Russia, has further aggravated the already inflamed parties. If the current situation persists, Sudan is on track to bear the grim title of the world's largest hunger crisis, as warned by the World Food Program.
6. Pakistan - Extreme Travel Risk
Pakistan has been battling a prolonged sequence of enduring hardships, spanning from environmental catastrophes, financial crises, and political instability. On top of the unyielding chaos, a severe violence rate has been recorded following the downfall of former-prime minister, Imran Khan.
The hardships faced by its people continued when grave floods resulted in tens of billions of dollars lost in 2023.
7. Afghanistan - Extreme Travel Risk
While Afghanistan has experienced modest progress, it still struggles to detach the stubborn status of one of the most dangerous countries. Fueled by a turbulent past, Afghanistan's long-standing instability has cast a shadow over its people for decades. Concerning issues of foreign invasions, mainstream poverty, and extreme levels of displacement has also continued to nudge higher rates of the GPI score.
8. Myanmar - Extreme Travel Risk
Myanmar has been heavily burdened by the rage of civil war between Tatmadaw’s military force and pro-democratic mass of the country. The conflict has led to the damages of logistical infrastructure, the distribution of basic good supplies, and medical care services.
Additionally, the ferocious strike has also been leveraged on multiple points including Mandalay– the country’s second-largest city.
9. Iraq - Extreme Travel Risk
Iraq’s reputation as an unsafe country to travel is driven by enduring factors of a volatile security situation. Terrorism in residential areas such as schools, restaurants, shopping centers, and places of worship are relatively big in number. Despite the regular efforts of counter-terrorism operations by Iraqi security forces, terrors are still unpredictable in nature.
10. Lebanon - Extreme Travel Risk
Known for its airstrike threats, Lebanon hasn’t been able to discard its title as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Over 1.2 million people are forced to become refugees around damaged infrastructure systems. Within traveling range, it has become especially difficult to maintain safety measures for American tourists due to the kidnapping schemes.
From war-torn nations to regions plagued by economic collapse and political unrest, these ten most dangerous countries in the world present some of the most perilous conditions for both residents and visitors. As informed travel precautions are always needed, these safest countries in the world can be alternatives for promising holiday retreats.
Editor's Choice: These Safest Countries to Travel Promise a Worry-Free Adventure in 2025
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