Dealing with a Crisis

Organisations  Websites  Reading

Organisations

British Foreign Office
Travel Advice Unit
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Old Admiralty Building
London SW1A 2PA
Tel: 0870 6060290
Fax: 020 7008 0155
Website: www.fco.gov.uk
E-mail: consular.fco@gtnet.gov.uk (for Travel Advice enquiries only)
For up-to-date information on problems affecting your safety in around 200 countries, refer to the Travellers’ Advice and Travellers’ Tips sections.

British Red Cross
UK Office
9 Grosvenor Crescent
London SW1X 7EJ
Tel: 020 7235 5454
Fax: 020 7245 6315
Email: information@redcross.org.uk
Web: www.redcross.org.uk
The British Red Cross offer help and support to the families and friends of travellers who have gone missing abroad. More information about their activities can be found on their website.

FRANK
Freepost
PO Box 4000
Telephone/Helpline: 0800 77 66 00 (24 hours)
E-mail: frank@talktofrank.com
Website : www.talktofrank.com
If anyone who is or has been travelling is suffering the psychological after-effects of taking strong drugs abroad, Frank can offer advice and act as a signpost to local services.

National Missing Persons Helpline
Tel: 0500 700 700 or +44(0)020 8392 4545 from outside the UK
Web: www.missingpersons.org
The National Missing Persons Helpline is a UK charity dedicated to helping missing people and supporting their families while they wait for news. The website is very useful for anyone trying to find a lost friend or relative abroad. It has tips on how to start looking and a confidential helpline.

Rape Crisis Federation
Unit 7
Provident Works
Newdigate Street
Nottingham NG7 4FD
Tel: 0115 900 3560 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail: info@rapecrisis.co.uk
Website: www.rapecrisis.co.uk
Can refer anyone who has been raped or sexually abused while travelling, as well as their families, friends and partners, to their nearest Rape Crisis Centre offering advice, information and counselling. Contact details of Rape Crisis Centres are also available on the website, which also features information about rape and sexual violence, court procedures and the law, and myths and facts about rape.

SANEline
Tel: 08457 678 000 (Every day 12noon-2am)
Phone this national helpline for information, advice and support for people affected by a mental health problem, as well as their friends and relatives. Can give details of local services.

The Samaritans
Tel: 08457 90 90 90 (24 hours)
E-mail: jo@samaritans.org
Website: www.samaritans.org.uk
If you have suffered any traumas while travelling and need someone to speak to, call the Samaritans. They offer confidential counselling for anyone with emotional problems. Phone, e-mail or call in at your local branch (the address will be in your local telephone directory).

Websites

Backpacka
www.bakpaka.com
Excellent resource for travellers in all over the world, with information on embassies, emergency telephone numbers, health and safety tips as well as current weather forecasts in specific regions.

Columbia: Worldwise Directory
www.brookes.ac.uk/
Useful resource with emergency numbers and health and safety advice for travellers in Columbia.

Drugs: Problems And Services
www.channel4.com/health
Channel 4 site offering help and advice for anyone with a drug-related problem.

Foreign Office
www.fco.gov.uk/
Helpful numbers and organisations if something has gone wrong on your travels.

People Search
www.people-search.co.uk/links2.htm
A comprehensive list of organisations and help groups dedicated to helping friends and families trace lost loved ones.

Red Cross: Missing in the UK and Abroad
http://www.redcross.org.uk/index.asp?id=238
The British Red Cross help the friends and families of people who have missing relatives abroad.

South Africa Public Services
www.safrica.info/
Part of a detailed website for South Africa, this has a list of all the organisations you could need if something goes wrong on your travels there, from rape to illness and other emergencies.

Reading

Dangerous Destinations A Traveller's Guide to the World's Trouble Spots, by Andrew Duncan and Michel Opatowski (Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2002)
This pocket guide for the serious traveller or journalist covers the world's most dangerous travel destinations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Buy this book from WH Smith .

How to Stay Safe and Trouble Free Wherever You Travel: 404 Ways to Protect Yourself and Prevent Problems Anywhere in the World, by Judith Albright (Booklocker.com Inc, 2003)
A useful guide for anyone thinking of travelling with tips and advice on staying safe. Buy this book from WH Smith .

The World Awaits: A Comprehensive Guide to Extended Backpack Travel, by Paul Otteson (Avalon Travel Publications, 2001)
A guide for independent travellers offering practical advice on planning an extended journey, preparing to travel simply, meeting the challenges of new cultures, and staying safe and healthy. Buy this book from Amazon .

Your Passport to Safer Travel (World Wise), Edited by Mark Hodson (Thomas Cook Publishing, 2001)
This guide distils the good and bad experiences of young travellers themselves. It features database and travel safety information for 238 countries, both developed and undeveloped, and provides addresses and phone numbers for travellers' help. Buy this book from WH Smith .

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