SITREP, November 2024

The Month in Review

• Mexico: Travelers from Mexico have reported multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella Newport and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Additionally, Dengue is a year-round risk, and travelers should avoid mosquito bites in affected areas.
• Haiti: Firefights erupt in the capital of Haiti amid political unrest following the prime minister’s replacement. On the day a new interim prime minister was supposed to take office, gangs and police engaged in gunfights in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.*
• USA: Exercise standard safety precautions, especially around demonstrations due to potential unrest. The 2024 Presidential election occurred on November 5, with the inauguration set for January 20, 2025.
• Mpox Outbreak: The World Health Organization stated that about 30,000 suspected cases of mpox have been reported in Africa so far this year, with the majority occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the U.N. health body’s report, suspected Mpox killed over 800 people over that period throughout the continent.
• Kenya: Terrorists are still attacking foreigners in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities with large populations. Attacks might happen at any time, with little to no notice, and they could target venues like malls and retail centers, hotels, foreign embassies, houses of worship, and camps for refugees.
• Mali: An attack on Bamako, the capital of Mali, has killed 77 people. Since 2015, when fighters attacked Westerners in a hotel and nightclub, this is the first significant attack on Bamako.
• Israel: Numerous rockets fired from Lebanon are intercepted by Israel’s missile defense system, and one direct impact ignites a fire. At the same time, one direct impact caused a fire that burned three buildings and covered a street full of automobiles in shrapnel.
• Pakistan: All train services to and from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, a volatile southwestern area where a suicide attack at a train station killed 26 people, including military and railway workers, were suspended by Pakistan’s railways.
• Thailand: The first confirmed case of a new, potentially more deadly strain of Mpox outside of Africa and the first in Asia has been reported from Thailand. According to Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, the sick 66-year-old European man traveled to Bangkok from an unidentified African nation.*
• Russia: Government agencies warn against visiting Russia. Foreigners may be arbitrarily arrested or detained. Russian officials make strong and disparaging remarks about Western nations.*
• Azerbaijan: From November 11 to 22, 2024, Baku will host the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29). More demands will probably be placed on the area’s resources, infrastructure, and security measures. If you are visiting Baku now, be prepared for travel inconveniences.
• Netherlands: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators are arrested by Amsterdam police during a prohibited demonstration. Police detained dozens of individuals for participating in a demonstration in the heart of Amsterdam that had been banned due to violence against supporters of the Israeli soccer team.

Sources: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/mexico?t / https://apnews.com/video/haiti-garry-conille-war-and-unrest-aabf148000e64819a87209887149f25c / https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/united-states-america /https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/almost-30000-suspected-mpox-cases-africa-this-year-who-says-2024-09-23/ / https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/kenya / https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/20/more-than-70-killed-in-mali-attack-what-happened-why-it-matters / https://apnews.com/video/israel-war-and-unrest-israel-hamas-war-2024-mideast-wars-lebanon-c1d3f5e21f18482c860738a21213773c / https://ground.news/article/pakistan-suspends-train-services-in-the-countrys-southwest-after-deadly-train-station-bombing / https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrgpg127zgo /https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/russia / https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/azerbaijan / https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/amsterdam-police-detain-pro-palestinian-protesters-at-banned-demonstration/ar-AA1tPDmb

Hotel in the “Golden Quarter”

If you’re traveling to a new country and aren’t sure where the safest areas are to book your accommodation, the Golden Quarter is an excellent choice.

But what is the “Golden Quarter”? In every major city, anywhere in the world, there are 5-star hotels from chains such as Sheraton, Hilton, or Four Seasons.

If your travel budget doesn’t allow these hotels, you can still use them as a guide. Sheraton would never build its hotels in insecure districts with weak infrastructure so that you can look for Airbnb, hotels, and hostels in this neighborhood with peace of mind.

Community Q and A

We buy a local SIM card when we stay in a country longer because it’s cheaper than an international plan, and for some food delivery or taxi apps, you might need a local phone number as well.

We always buy an e-sim beforehand to have an internet connection from arrival. We, therefore, use the app Airalo.*

Have a question? Reply to this email; we might feature it in next month's Q&A!

* Corrected in October 2026.