SITREP, November 2026

Dear Reader,

In October, many of the worst events took place where you might pass through any day: airport terminals, railway platforms, city centers on a Saturday night. November brings elections in the United States and South Africa, and strikes in France, Spain and Italy. Under each report you will find our advice on what to do.

The Month in Review

Asia & Middle East

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Houthi attacks on Saudi airports continued. On October 10 a missile hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and killed 12 people. By October 12 at least 20 people had died in these attacks¹. Riyadh airport was due to reopen on October 25. Many foreign airlines will only return in November². The UK government expects more attacks on airports³. The US president has threatened new strikes on Iran after the US elections on November 3⁴.

Advice: Avoid connections through Saudi airports this month. For trips to the Gulf in early November, book tickets you can change and check your flight the evening before.

Jordan and Syria. On October 23, three gunmen shot at mourners at a church funeral in Karak, south of Amman. At least nine people were killed. Jordan then carried out air strikes in southern Syria⁵. On October 27, Syria closed the Nasib border crossing with Jordan⁶.

Advice: Do not plan road travel between Jordan and Syria. In Jordan, avoid large religious gatherings for now.

Israel and the West Bank. In October, Israeli settlers (people who live in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank) attacked an American photographer and a convoy of European diplomats⁷. After two Israeli soldiers were killed in Hebron on October 23, the army put the city under lockdown⁸.

Advice: Travel in the West Bank only with a local partner who knows the day's closures, and stay away from settlements.

Sources: 1 The National, 2 TravelMole, 3 GOV.UK, 4 The National, 5 Al Jazeera, 6 Anadolu, 7 France 24, 8 Al Jazeera

Americas

Mexico. On October 29, police arrested a senior cartel member in Matamoros, across the border from Texas. Cartel members then blocked roads in the city and on the highways to Reynosa. The bridges to Brownsville were closed for part of the afternoon¹. On October 26, truck drivers blocked highways in central and southern Mexico. They demand more security on the roads. By the end of September, 1,105 trucks had been robbed this year, and 15 drivers had died. The drivers now threaten a national strike².

Advice: In Tamaulipas, do not drive between cities or after dark. If the truckers' strike starts, expect blocked roads around Mexico City, Veracruz and Oaxaca.

Sources: 1 Mexico News Daily, 2 Mexico News Daily

Africa

DR Congo, Kenya and Nigeria. The Ebola outbreak keeps growing. In October we reported 8,300 cases in eastern Congo. By October 27 there were 10,141 confirmed cases and 4,928 deaths. Kenya has nine cases, and Nigeria reported a case on October 20. Anyone who stayed in an affected province of Congo may not leave the country for 21 days¹.

Advice: If you work in eastern Congo, plan 21 extra days before you can fly out. After you leave, take your temperature twice a day for 21 days. If you get a fever, phone a doctor before you go to a clinic.

Ethiopia and Kenya. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of sending troops into Tigray. There are fears that the fighting will spread beyond Tigray². In the south, fighting broke out in Moyale, the main road crossing to Kenya. At least nine people died, and tens of thousands fled into Kenya^3,4.

Advice: Do not use the Moyale crossing. Fly between Addis Ababa and Nairobi instead. Do not travel to Tigray or near the Eritrean border.

South Africa. On October 8, protests against migrants turned violent in Durban and Soweto. On October 22, a foreigner was beaten to death in Durban⁵. Local elections take place on November 4⁶.

Advice: Avoid marches and rallies in Durban and Johannesburg around November 4. If you employ staff from other African countries, let them work from home on tense days.

Sources: 1 ECDC, 2 Al Jazeera, 3 Pulse, 4 Al Jazeera, 5 Rio Times, 6 EWN

Europe

France. On October 17, the student protests turned into riots in many cities. Police arrested more than 2,300 people. Paris, Lyon, Nice and Lille then banned people from some areas at night¹. On October 23 a gunman killed one person and wounded five in Trappes, near Paris. The authorities call it a racially motivated terrorist attack².

Advice: Avoid marches, especially on Saturdays and in the evening. Before you go out at night, check the website of the local authority (the préfecture) to see which areas are closed.

Ukraine. On October 29 a Russian drone hit a platform at the main station in Dnipro while people waited for a train. Fifteen people were killed³. That night, power cuts hit large parts of Kyiv⁴.

Advice: At stations, wait inside near a shelter and go to the platform only when your train arrives. Install the Air Alert app. In Kyiv, choose a hotel with its own generator.

Spain. On October 28, a high-speed train hit a stopped train near Urda, south of Madrid. At least 68 people died. Trains between Madrid and Andalusia were stopped⁵. In Barcelona, a protest turned into looting on the night of October 24. Police arrested 128 people⁶.

Advice: Before a train trip between Madrid and Andalusia, check in the Renfe or Iryo app whether the line is open. Keep a flight as a backup.

Albania and Serbia. Since mid-October, young people in Tirana have protested and now demand that Prime Minister Edi Rama resign. On October 24, the authorities said more than 300 protesters and police had been injured⁷. On October 28, an attacker with knives went for a police officer at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade. Serbia then raised its threat level to the highest level⁸.

Advice: In Tirana, avoid government buildings on protest evenings. In Belgrade, expect police checks around embassies and Jewish sites.

France, Spain and Italy. General strikes are planned in all three countries. In France, rail unions join the general strike on November 5, so trains may not run^9,10. Spain follows with a general strike on November 11¹¹. Italy has a general strike on November 20. A rail strike follows until the evening of November 21. Air traffic controllers strike on November 21 from 13:00 to 17:00¹².

Advice: Keep November 5 (France), November 11 (Spain) and November 20 and 21 (Italy) free of trains, flights and important meetings. For Italy, check the strike list at scioperi.mit.gov.it two days before you travel.

Sources: 1 Al Jazeera, 2 Al Jazeera, 3 CNN, 4 Interfax, 5 AP, 6 AFP, 7 Al Jazeera, 8 Reuters, 9 Auswärtiges Amt, 10 Sortiraparis, 11 Diario de León, 12 Trend-Online

Your Medication at the Border

A medicine you take every day at home can be banned or need a permit in another country. This affects strong painkillers, sleeping pills, ADHD medicine and even some medicines for colds and the flu.

General rules. Check the rules of every country on your route. This includes countries where you only change planes. The International Narcotics Control Board lists the rules many countries have reported (incb.org). If a country is missing, ask its embassy. Carry a doctor's letter in English with the name of the active substance, the dose and the length of your trip. Keep the medicine in its original box with the pharmacy label. Pack it in your hand luggage, and take only what you need plus a few days.

Japan. ADHD medicines with amphetamine, such as Adderall, are banned, even with a prescription. Medicines with codeine, lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse) or pseudoephedrine, found in some medicines for colds, need a permit. Apply at least 14 days before you travel¹.

Singapore. You can bring up to three months' supply of normal prescription medicine. Carry a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter. Medicines with controlled substances need approval. Apply at least two weeks before you arrive. Medicines with cannabis are not allowed at all. The same applies to nicotine gum and patches bought abroad².

United Arab Emirates. You need a valid prescription and a doctor's certificate. The certificate must be stamped by the health authority of your home country. Show the original prescription at customs. Strong painkillers and similar medicines are allowed for the length of your stay, up to three months³.

Europe. Do you live in a Schengen country and travel within the Schengen area with strong painkillers or similar medicine? Then you need a Schengen certificate. Your doctor fills it in, and a health authority stamps it. It is valid for 30 days⁴.

Sources: 1 Japan NCD, 2 HSA, 3 INCB, 4 BfArM

Community Q&A

"We are traveling abroad with our children over the holidays. What do we need to consider?"

1. If only one parent travels with a child, carry a signed letter of consent from the other parent and a copy of their passport. Keep photos of all passports on your phone.

2. In airports, markets and on beaches, write your phone number on your child's arm. A wristband with your number also works. Tell your child: "If you lose us, stay where you are and ask a mother with children or a staff member for help."

3. Take a photo of each child every morning, so you can show what they are wearing. A small tracker such as an AirTag in a jacket or backpack helps in crowds.

4. At the pool or beach, one adult watches only the children. Put the phone away, and take turns. In the hotel room, move chairs away from the balcony railing.

5. Do not take a taxi with a small child on your lap. Bring a light travel seat or book a transfer with a child seat.

6. Pack a thermometer, fever medicine and oral rehydration salts, and write each child's dose on the box. Before you leave, save your insurer's emergency number and ask which hospital nearby treats children.

Have a question? Just reply to this email.

From the Team

From the archive: The Safety Huddle No. 28. Dr. Michael Guirguis talks with me about medical work in close protection. We discuss what a protection officer must be able to do, when a team needs a medic, and what belongs in the kit. It runs 32 minutes. Listen on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Stay safe out there,Inga FaustCo-Founder, FOXPEDITION™