The United States of America has issued a travel warning and asked potential tourists to reconsider their trip to Jamaica “due to crime and [unreliable] medical services.” Jamaica has been the subject of a recent wave of homicides, which has prompted the United States to issue the warning.
The United States Department of State had issued a warning to the American people to “exercise increased caution” in the Bahamas, where a Level 2 advisory was still in effect despite the fact that there had been a number of fatalities. This warning came a few days before the notification regarding Jamaica. At this time, the same alert has been elevated to Level 3 for the country of Jamaica.
At a time when a great number of people in the United States are engaged in the process of planning and reserving their holidays for the next year, advisories concerning the visitation of well-known tourist destinations have been released.
Home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and murders are just some of the types of violent crimes that are common in Jamaica, according to the United States Embassy in the country. Even at locations that offer all-inclusive packages, sexual assaults are not uncommon.
Moreover, it was stated that the Jamaican police “often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.” This was the conclusion that was reached. The warning states that there are hospitals and ambulance services that are not reputable, and that certain private businesses may require payment in advance.
According to the State Department, “The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica has been among the highest in the Western Hemisphere for several years.” This observation was made by the Jamaican government.
The data that was given by the Jamaica Constabulary Force indicates that there were a total of sixty-five homicides that occurred in the country between the dates of January 1 and January 27. The country of Jamaica has a population of around 2.8 million people. This is a significant drop from the previous year’s total of 81 homicides that occurred during the same month. However, in comparison to the previous January, there were a greater number of shootings and injuries sustained by victims of criminal activity. The number of rapes that were reported in January 2024 was observed to be much lower than the number that was reported in January 2023, as indicated by the data.
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, which is the oldest newspaper in the country, there have been 65 homicides this month, with 19 of the killings occurring in the course of the past week alone. This information was revealed on Monday.
The United States Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas, claimed in a letter that was sent out on January 24th that the capital city had experienced 18 homicides since the beginning of the year. The statement stated that some of the deaths had “occurred at all hours including in broad daylight on the streets.”
Due to the fact that the most of the recent homicides have been linked to gang activity, travelers are strongly recommended to “exercise extreme caution in the eastern part of New Providence Island (Nassau)” and to be especially vigilant when walking or driving at night. This is because the statement indicates that the majority of the recent homicides have been associated with gang activity.
“Do not physically resist any robbery attempt,” the embassy advised tourists, after adding that they should review their “personal security plans.”
Edmund Bartlett, the Minister of Tourism, briefed Jamaica’s Members of Parliament in December that a “spectacular growth pattern” that was recorded between the years 2022 and 2023 is expected to continue. One of the most important contributors to the economy of the country is the tourist industry.
According to the website of his ministry, he forecasted that the island would serve as a destination for 4,122,100 tourists between the months of January and December in the year 2023. “This would signal an increase of 23.7% over the total number of visitors recorded in 2022.”
Post Source: cbsnews.com
