The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning on Monday advising U.S. citizens to leave Syria immediately due to escalating violence and “a deteriorating security situation.”
The U.S. shut down its embassy in Syria on Monday, and all U.S. embassy personnel and their family members have left the country. Effective immediately, the Polish embassy in Damascus serves as the protecting power for U.S. interests in Syria.
The decision comes after a bloody weekend, in which scores of people were killed in the city of Homs, according to reports.
The State Department advises those with questions about U.S. citizens in Syria to email
SyriaEmergencyUSC@state.gov or call 888-407-4747 (from the U.S. or Canada), or 202-501-4444 (from outside the U.S. or Canada).
Follow Michelle Baran on Twitter @mbtravelweekly.