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April 20, 2022
20-April-2022

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Iraq (Security threat level – 5): At approximately 1000 local time (0700 UTC) on 20 April 2022, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced that all inbound and outbound flights have been suspended at Baghdad International Airport (ORBI/BGW) due to poor visibility induced by an ongoing heavy dust storm. There is no estimated timeline as to when flights will resume at the facility; the Iraqi meteorological office anticipates the dust storm to lift on 21 April. At least two other significant dust storms have affected Iraq since the beginning of April.

Israel / Palestinian Territories (Security threat levels – 4 / 5): At approximately 0700 local time (0400 UTC) on 20 April 2022, Israeli police officers deployed stun grenades to disperse Palestinians who had gathered near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City and were throwing stones at the officers. Security personnel then cleared the mosque grounds of all remaining people. There were no immediate reports of injuries in connection to the incident. A Jewish nationalist demonstration is scheduled to take place in the Old City later in the day despite a ban imposed by Israeli officials. The Al-Aqsa Mosque has been the site of frequent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian civilians since 14 April.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

South Africa (Security threat level – 4): On 19 April 2022, South African state-owned energy company Eskom announced that it will expand its previously announced power cuts from Stage 2 to Stage 3 following the failure of two coal-powered stations in Majuba and Tutuka. Eskom officials stated that the restoration of electricity continues to be complicated due to heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal province, where several power stations have been rendered nonoperational. The energy company issued a statement declaring that in a best-case scenario it will end its scheduled power outages by 22 April.

GOVERNMENT WARNINGS

Haiti (Security threat level – 5): On 19 April 2022, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a Health Alert, which reads in part as follows: “As of April 18, 2022, the Haitian government put new COVID-19 requirements in place. The Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) announced that fully vaccinated individuals will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel. However, the testing requirement will remain in place for unvaccinated individuals. These requirements are for all air passengers 12 years of age and older bound for Haiti from a foreign country. The new requirement does not apply to children under the age of 11.

“Please be advised that there has been no change to COVID-19 entry requirements for the United States. Regardless of vaccination status or nationality, individuals coming to the United States must show a negative pre-departure COVID-19 viral test taken the day before they board their flight to the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.”