By Naveen Athrappully

The U.S. Department of State renewed its travel advisory for two Middle Eastern nations—Yemen and Jordan—last week over rising safety risks in these countries.

“Do not travel to Yemen due to risk of terrorism, unrest, crime, health risks, kidnapping, and landmines,” the Dec. 19 State Department advisory update on the country said. Yemen has been classified with a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” designation, which is the most severe threat advisory level.

“The U.S. Embassy in Sana’a suspended its operations in February 2015. The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency or routine consular services to U.S. citizens in Yemen,” it said. Sana’a is the capital of Yemen.

The department has also redesignated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, according to the travel advisory.

The Houthis control two-thirds of the population in Yemen, and coordinate with other terror outfits such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They are a proxy group of Iran operating in Yemen and have acquired many of their weapons from Tehran.

The Houthi flag includes words such as “Curse be upon the Jews” and “Death to the U.S.A., death to Israel.”

Since 2014, the Houthis “have detained U.S. citizens, including those with dual Yemeni-U.S. citizenship,” the State Department said.

“Reports say that U.S. citizens are targeted just because they are U.S. citizens. It does not matter how long they have been in Yemen or if they have connections with rebel groups, local businesses, or humanitarian organizations,” it said.

“During their detention, which can last for years, U.S. citizens are not allowed to contact their families. They also cannot receive visits from U.S. consular personnel or international humanitarian organizations. The U.S. government has very limited ability to help U.S. citizens in detention.”

The State Department said that other terror groups, such as Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and affiliates of the ISIS terrorist group, also plan and carry out attacks in Yemen.

Terrorists may strike, with little to no warning, public sites, markets, government buildings and facilities, transportation hubs, and places of worship, it said.

Yemen is going through a civil war and is facing instability. The department warned that “foreigners are frequently targets of kidnapping and carjacking, especially outside of urban areas.” It asked travelers to “not rely on significant assistance from local authorities.”

“Violent and organized crime is common in Yemen. Local law enforcement may not be able or willing to respond to serious crimes,” it said.

Yemen’s basic infrastructure, such as medical facilities, utilities, and housing, have been destroyed, making it harder to access medical care, clean water, and electricity. In addition, humanitarian groups face challenges when it comes to delivering food, water, and medicine.

On June 4, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation restricting the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States to safeguard against terrorists and other security threats. The proclamation instituted full entry restrictions on 12 nations, including Yemen.

“Yemen lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures. The government does not have physical control over its own territory,” the proclamation said.

In a Dec. 18 travel advisory update, the State Department asked Americans to be wary about traveling to the country, citing terrorism. Jordan was classified with a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” designation.

The advisory explicitly warned against traveling to Mansheyat al Ghayyath, Ruwayshid, and Jordan’s border with Iraq and Syria, citing terrorism and unrest risks. Other areas Americans are advised against traveling to include designated Syrian refugee camps, Rusayfah city, and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha.

Travel to Ma’an and Zarqa cities should be reconsidered, it said.

“Violent extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, including the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) and al-Qa’ida, directly or indirectly have conducted or supported attacks in Jordan and continue to plot against local security forces, U.S. and foreign interests, and ‘soft’ targets, such as high-profile public events, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, schools, and malls,” the advisory warned.

Other allied nations have issued travel warnings against Yemen and Jordan.

Canada explicitly advises citizens to “avoid all travel” to Yemen due to ongoing tensions in the region and armed conflict. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) advises citizens against visiting the Middle Eastern nation.

As for Jordan, the Canadian government asks people to exercise a “high degree of caution” when visiting, explicitly warning against traveling to Jordan’s border with Syria and Iraq. The UK’s FCDO has a much stricter travel advisory, recommending against “all travel to parts of Jordan.”