U.S. Embassy Windhoek released the following Warden Message on August 9, 2010:
The U.S. Embassy alerts U.S. citizens in Namibia to the possibility of travel disruptions at the Namibia/South Africa border, and for air travelers to/through South Africa, on Tuesday, August 10.
COSATU, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, has called for a national strike of South African government employees over wages and conditions. If an agreement is not reached by early Tuesday, August 10, employees from many offices, including immigration and customs officers, are expected to go on strike. This may cause severe travel disruptions.
Public demonstrations or protests may also occur in numerous locations around South Africa. Public protests are currently being organized in several major cities including Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg.
U.S. citizens in Namibia who have plans to travel to or through South Africa over the next few days may wish to consider alternate plans. If travel plans cannot be changed, exercise caution and expect delays while traveling. If encountering any sort of demonstration, alter your route and avoid driving or walking near the demonstration. Remember, even demonstrations intended or appearing to be peaceful can quickly turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence.
South African public sector workers declared to the government their willingness to go on strike in seven days if wage demands are not met, reports stated on July 29th. Transport and power supply worker unions secured pay rises after threatening to strike during the World Cup soccer tournament. The coalition of unions represents most government employees, including police, doctors, nurses, teachers and office workers, which totals nearly 900,000 people.
Volcanic ash from Iceland wound its way down to North Africa and curled over to Turkey on Tuesday, forcing authorities to shut down Casablanca airport in Morocco as well as airports in Spain and airspace over Turkey. Read more at USA Today.
We recommend contacting your travel supplier for current delays and cancellations. If you have purchased our Roundtrip and Trip Protector travel insurance policies, then please call the 24 hour assistance number on your ID card for assistance.
All flights in and out of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were grounded on the morning of May 4th over new risks from volcanic ash, but will resume at 1300 BST. Airspace over Scotland’s Outer Hebrides was closed until 1800 local time on May 3rd, affecting operations from Barra, Benbecula, Stornoway, and Tiree. An ash plume was drifting south from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, the same volcano which shut down air traffic across Europe in April. Flights from the UK and continental Europe flying across the airspace were not affected.
At least 60 flights have been delayed and canceled and more than 50 trains delayed after a dense fog enveloped New Delhi on January 20th, reducing visibility to less than 100m (330ft), local media reported. The delays and cancellations affected thousands of passengers at airport and railway stations. More than 400 people reportedly died as cold weather swept through northern India in January, with most fatalities reported in Uttar Pradesh state.
The U.S. Embassy advises all American citizens visiting or residing in Honduras that there was an explosion at the TIGO Building on Boulevard Morazán in Tegucigalpa on November 18 at approximately 11:40 pm. The bomb exploded outside the building and damaged two vehicles, a gas tank, and the building facade and windows. No one was injured.
Due to recent attacks against radio and telecommunications facilities in and around Tegucigalpa, the U.S. Embassy has advised its employees to stay clear of these facilities and their surroundings during late evening and early morning hours. The U.S. Embassy recommends that all American citizens follow this advice.
The U.S. Embassy has received information that the airports in both Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula are enacting stricter security measures. All visitors are being screened by security personnel prior to entering the building. Due to the sometimes lengthy lines during this screening process, some passengers have missed their flights. The U.S. Embassy recommends that American citizens give themselves extra time when utilizing airport facilities.
The U.S. Embassy recommends that American citizens exercise extreme caution when in public places and be aware of their surroundings for anything suspicious. American citizens are reminded to avoid large crowds and that even peaceful demonstrations may turn violent.
The Embassy recommends that American citizens monitor local television and radio for any changes to constitutional and travel restrictions and other security measures. The embassy strongly recommends that American citizens abide by these restrictions.
The U.S. Embassy distributes its warden messages via email, and posts them on its website. Messages received via SMS to cell phones are not U.S. Embassy messages and do not reflect U.S. government travel advice.
Please feel free to call us at 800-647-4589 for current information or for political evacuation insurance.
Heavy snow in Beijing forced officials to close more than 60 flights and postpone up to 100 others. Snowfall in Shanxi and Liaoning provinces on November 11th and 12th led officials to close highways, stranding 10,000 vehicles and 30,000 passengers in Shanxi province alone. More than 200 flights in Xi’an, Shanxi’s capita, were canceled, delaying up to 20,000 passengers.
At least 12 people were killed and several others went missing on October 30th as Typhoon Mirinae struck Quezon province, east of Metro Manila, bringing heavy rain and winds. The storm finally departed the island on October 31st as a tropical storm and is thought to be heading towards Vietnam.
Although the capital was not as seriously affected as other parts of the country, 180 flights from Manila were canceled.
Please contact your travel suppliers for possible delays and cancellations. If you have purchased our Roundtrip or Trip Protector travel insurance policies and are traveling to the Philippines this week, then contact the claims number on your ID card for travel cancellation reimbursement assistance.
Maoists announced plans on October 30th to shut down Kathmandu’s international airport and block highways leading to the capital as part of its plan to pressure the Marxist-led government, local media reported. The largest protests will reportedly take place on November 10th, when the airport will be shut down and all highways to the capital blocked.
We recommend calling your travel provider for possible travel delays.
Flights at the El Alto airport, just outside La Paz, were delayed after protesting workers from a Spanish airline clashed with police on October 28th.
Please contact your travel suppliers and airlines for possible delays.
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