US lifts travel ban to Nepal

Kathmandu / March 01: The US Department of State has cancelled its travel warning for Nepal. The travel warning, which was issued for Nepal on October 8, 2015, was formally cancelled yesterday, according to the US Embassy in Kathmandu.

Considering the geological instability following the April 25 Nepal earthquake and the monsoon season, the unrest Tarai region and the country-wide fuel shortage due to the blockade at the Nepal-India border, the US Department of State had issued the negative travel advisory to its US citizens as the Travel Warning.

“Because conditions have changed,” a statement issued by the Embassy said, “The Travel Warning was cancelled effective February 29, 2016.”

The US Department of State publishes country-specific information sheets for every country in the world, including Nepal, describing local conditions and risks for the American travellers.

When risks of travel in a country become significant, the Department of State either issues a Travel Alert or Travel Warning.

According to the US Department of state, it issues a travel warning when it wants the US citizens to consider very carefully whether to go to a country where there is an unstable government, civil war, ongoing intense crime or violence, or frequent terrorist attacks. The travel warning aims at making the US citizens who want to travel to know the risks of travelling to these places and to strongly consider not going to them at all.

Travel Alert, on the other hand, is issued for short-term events including an election season that is bound to have many strikes, demonstrations, or disturbances; a health alert like an outbreak of H1N1; or evidence of an elevated risk of terrorist attacks.

The Embassy said up-to-date travel information can still be found in the Department’s Country Specific Information sheet for Nepal.