Ethiopia and Eritrea Cut Ties: What It Means for Your Travel Insurance
Diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea have been severed as conflict escalates, with explosions reported in the capital. For Australian travellers, this volatile situation severely impacts your travel insurance cover and safety options. Most policies will not cover travel to regions with active war zones or high level government travel warnings.
Australian travel insurance policies generally exclude claims arising from war, civil unrest, or travelling against Do Not Travel advice from Smartraveller.
What Happened
Ethiopia and Eritrea have cut diplomatic ties as heavy fighting intensifies across the northern region. The situation has worsened with explosions heard in Addis Ababa following a drone flight ban over the capital. This escalation marks a dangerous turn in the regional conflict, prompting increased security concerns for foreign nationals.
How Travel Insurance Can Help
Australian travel insurers use Smartraveller advice levels to determine cover, and most of Ethiopia is under strict advice warnings. If you travel to a region designated as Do Not Travel, your policy will be voided for any claims related to the warning. If you are already in the country, you must contact your insurer immediately to arrange emergency evacuation options.
Common Questions
No, almost all Australian travel insurance policies have general exclusions for war, civil unrest, and invasion. You will not be covered for medical costs or trip disruptions caused by these events.
If the warning is raised to Do Not Travel after you buy your policy but before you leave, you can usually claim for cancellation costs. If you are already there, you should leave immediately as cover may be limited.
Standard travel insurance will not pay for evacuation from areas under active conflict or a Do Not Travel warning. You must coordinate with your insurer and the Australian government to seek safe departure options.