NEW YORK- People are opting for more unforgettable holidays
but some countries can be risky even for the most adventurous travelers.
Forbes.com has compiled a list of the most dangerous
destinations.
1. Somalia. This Horn of Africa country has been in the
grip of warlords for the last decade, fighting for control of drug and weapon
trafficking rights. Risks include military clashes, kidnapping, landmines and
pirates.
2. Iraq. Military action, collateral damage, insurgency
and suicide bombings are daily occurrences in the country. Security experts say
unstable areas include Baghdad and stretch from Tikrit in the north to Hillah in
the south and from Mandali in the east to Ramadi in the west.
3. Afghanistan. Even though the ruling Taliban regime was
officially ousted in Afghanistan in 2001, attacks from those still loyal to it
and to al Qaeda continue.
4. Haiti. Sharing the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with
top vacation destination Dominican Republic, Haiti, the western hemisphere's
poorest country, is plagued by civil unrest, police corruption and readily
available firearms.
5. Pakistan. The country, which borders Afghanistan,
suffers from ongoing geopolitical turmoil. Bomb attacks and rioting between Shia
and Sunni Muslim communities are a threat. In December 2007, opposition leader
Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during a suicide bombing.
6. Sudan. Despite a peace agreement in 2005, areas of
extreme danger due to battles between government troops and militias and local
insurgent groups dot the country. Areas to avoid completely include the western
region of Darfur, Ethiopian and Eritrean border regions and all of southern
Sudan.
7. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A civil war
that formally ended in 2003 still affects the country. As Rwandan and Ugandan
troops pulled out of DRC towards the end of the war, rival militias have been
fighting each other to fill the power vacuum this created.
8. Lebanon. Culminating in the 2005 assassination of
Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, Lebanon is split by pro- and anti-Syrian forces
vying for control of the government. Other risks include military battles in the
south with neighboring Israel and civil unrest.
9. Zimbabwe. Anti-western sentiment prominently expressed
by officials, out-of-control inflation and oppression employed by the government
to silence dissenting voices are common in Zimbabwe.
10. Palestinian Territories. The region is caught in a brutal tug-of-war
between pro-Fatah and pro-Hamas factions. Political and military battles with
Israel, especially in the Gaza Strip, have made the security situation in this
territory very unstable. Poverty and chronic violence add to the instability.
-Reuters
