Honduras is one of the Western Hemisphere's most dangerous countries. Gang territorial control, journalist targeting, kidnapping risk and systematic extortion of NGOs require specialist cover for field operations.
Standard insurance is not designed for Honduras. We provide specialist cover for journalists, NGOs, development workers and researchers operating in the country.
Honduras is rated high risk. Gang violence, journalist targeting, kidnapping and extortion of NGOs require specialist cover for any field operation.
Standard travel insurance is wholly inadequate for Honduras. Specialist cover with appropriate risk assessment is essential.
Country risk context
The situation
Honduras is one of the most consistently violent countries in the Western Hemisphere. While it does not experience armed conflict in the conventional sense, the presence of powerful criminal organisations — particularly MS-13, Barrio 18 and transnational drug trafficking groups — creates a security environment that is relevant to non-combatants in ways that parallel active conflict zones. Gang-controlled territories operate with a level of territorial control, violence and impunity that standard travel insurance was not designed to address.
The homicide rate in Honduras, while reduced from its peak years, remains among the highest globally. Violence is concentrated but not limited to poor urban areas — extortion, kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings of community leaders, journalists and anti-corruption officials are documented risks that extend to professionals and international workers. The Honduran government of Xiomara Castro, elected in 2022, has pursued its own security approach but has not achieved the dramatic reductions seen in El Salvador under its anti-gang crackdowns.
For international workers — particularly journalists, NGO field staff, development workers and researchers — the risks in Honduras are real and require the same rigorous assessment applied to active conflict environments. Extortion of NGOs operating in gang-controlled areas, surveillance and targeting of individuals investigating cartel corruption, and the risk of opportunistic violence all require specialist planning and appropriate insurance cover.
What to watch
Why it can be challenging
Gang and cartel violence — territorial control and extortion
Multiple criminal organisations maintain territorial control across significant parts of Honduras. Extortion of businesses, NGOs and individuals is systematic. Violence against those who resist extortion, or who are perceived as threats to criminal interests, is frequent. Non-combatants working in gang-controlled areas require specific security protocols.
Journalist targeting and press freedom restrictions
Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America for journalists. Reporters investigating organised crime, drug trafficking and official corruption face specific targeting risk. Several journalists have been killed in Honduras in recent years. Reporting on sensitive subjects requires careful operational planning.
Kidnapping for ransom
Kidnapping for ransom remains a risk in Honduras, primarily targeted at business figures but with exposure for international workers particularly in rural and coastal areas. Express kidnapping is a risk in urban areas. Security protocols including movement patterns, communications and vehicle use require careful management.
Limited and uneven medical infrastructure
Medical infrastructure outside Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula is limited. Even in major cities, specialist care is constrained. Evacuation to the US or to Mexico City is the standard plan for complex emergencies. Security conditions can affect the ability to reach medical facilities.
Emergency support
NGS provides round-the-clock emergency support. Honduras's limited medical infrastructure means evacuation planning to the US or Mexico City is essential from the start of any assignment.
24/7 response
Round-the-clock support every day of the year
Medical coordination
Coordinating care including evacuation to the US or Mexico City
Evacuation support
Managing exit via Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula airports
Case management
Handling the incident through to a safer outcome
Exclusions
This policy is designed to protect people, not possessions.
Cover not included
Activity exclusions
Property exclusions
Also covered in Latin America
Threat intelligence
For a deeper understanding of the current situation, including operational risks and regional dynamics, see our threat intelligence hub.
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