In July 1998, four United Nations personnel were murdered in the Karotegin Valley. The identity of the murderers is still unknown. To date, Americans have not been targeted but bystanders have been hurt in some of these attacks. Because of this unpredictability, U.S. travelers should avoid demonstrations, crowds, and places where military personnel congregate. Americans should remain inside during hours of darkness.
Security forces are visible in the capital and the southern half of the country.
U.S. citizens should check with the U.S. Embassy Almaty in Kazakhstan for current information before traveling outside of Dushanbe, and should observe strict security precautions while moving about, at their work sites, and at their homes. The situation in Leninabad Province, in the northern part of the country, and in Gorno Badakhshan, in the east has been generally quiet. The medical infrastructure of Tajikistan is significantly below western standards. Many trained medical personnel have left the country. Medical equipment and medicines are scarce, and significant disease outbreaks are possible due to population shifts and the breakdown in immunization activity.