These countries include Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Tunisia, where a terrorist attack on Wednesday saw a number of Polish fatalities.
At the time of reporting, the exact number is still unknown. Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid told a press conference on Wednesday that one Pole had been killed in the attack.
However, on Thursday, Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said that two Poles were killed in the attack, while two others are still missing.
Black list
The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it had issued a warning against travelling to Tunisia in May 2014, due to the conflict in the region. The warning was never lifted.
Despite this, dozens of travel agents around Poland advertised holidays to the country.
One company said that it is cancelling all its flights to Tunisia following Wednesday’s attacks. A representative from Itaka – one of Poland’s largest travel agents – told TVN24 that by Wednesday 182 company clients were still in the country.
One of the latest countries to be included on the list was Lebanon, which was added on 29 January.
“Due to the continuing unstable security situation in Lebanon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Polish citizens refrain from traveling to [Lebanon], and especially to the borders between Lebanon and Syria, [as well as the border] between Lebanon and Israel,” the memo read.
Farther away
A local woman with her child walks next to a damaged in shelling city market in downtown Donetsk, Ukraine. Photo: EPA/ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO
But it is not only Arab countries which have been black listed. The Ministry has warned tourists against visiting some parts of Ukraine, advising against travelling to areas around Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporojian.
Far-eastern countries such as Indonesia have also been included. According to the Polish Foreign Ministry, despite the significant steps taken by the Indonesian authorities, terrorism continues to be a reputable source of danger.
“The activities of terrorist groups concentrate in the autonomous provinces of Aceh, the city of Poso, Ambon, the city of Solo, and Makassar,” a Ministry memo read.
The full list of countries and regions is: Mali, Ukraine, Golan heights and Gaza, Lebanon, Nigeria, Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt, Lesotho, Iraq, Yemen, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Libya and Tunisia. (rg)
Source: PAP, IAR, Onet.pl