Penn State suspends University-affiliated journey to the Middle East indefinitely

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On March 2, the U.S. Department of State issued an advisory to U.S. residents in a number of Middle Eastern international locations, urging them to depart utilizing industrial means. In mild of this advisory, Penn State has introduced that as of in the present day that University-affiliated journey has been suspended to the next locations till additional discover:

• Afghanistan
• Bahrain
• Cyprus
• Egypt
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel (together with West Bank and Gaza)
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Qatar
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• Syria
• United Arab Emirates (together with Abu Dhabi and Dubai)
• Yemen

This suspension impacts any journey to those locations that has not but departed from the United States.

Penn State Global Safety strongly advises college, workers and college students who’re planning upcoming journey to another locations within the Middle East (or different worldwide journey) to remain knowledgeable about present occasions and carefully monitor developments.

Penn Staters presently overseas

The journey suspension introduced in the present day impacts Penn Staters who haven’t but commenced their journey to the listed international locations. For these Penn Staters who’re already overseas, any related communications or updates will likely be despatched straight from Penn State Global to these college, workers or college students.

Penn State Global Safety recommendation for all vacationers:

1. Monitor communications out of your airline for potential schedule adjustments, plan accordingly for related disruptions and phone your airline with any questions on your flight standing. If your flight is scheduled to journey by means of affected areas, please bear in mind that journey could also be delayed, rerouted to alternate areas or canceled altogether. In some instances, vacationers might have to attend a number of days for a brand new flight.
2. Travelers with flights booked by means of Anthony Travel, the official journey companion for Penn State University, can contact Anthony Travel’s after-hours emergency agent-assisted assist line at +1-888-669-3948 for help with cancellations, delays and/or adjustments.
3. Follow U.S. Embassy directives, together with any shelter-in-place directions.
4. Enroll any worldwide journey within the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to obtain emergency alerts from the closest U.S. embassy, even when the journey has already commenced.

Penn State vacationers can contact Penn State Global Safety 24/7 on our emergency responsibility telephone at +1-814-360-2829 through name/textual content/WhatsApp for pressing well being, security or safety help overseas, or our worldwide emergency help supplier International SOS at +1-215-942-8478. For administrative or non-emergency points, contact Global Safety at +1-814-863-8788 or electronic mail  globalsafety@psu.edu.