World Status Report

This report intends to give the UTD Community a snapshot of international risks, and other issues as reported by the linked media and official sources from the U.S. and other countries.

More health and security information for each country can be found in the travel advisories issued by the governments of the United States, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, and the CDC, ECDC, and WHO sites. Not all advise in these sites will apply to US travelers.

Please note the publication date of this report and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.

Security

• Despite the resilience of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, security is “one of the most significant challenges” it faces (UN News), the head of the UN mission in the country, MONUSCO, told the Security Council on Friday. “Over the past weeks, the security situation in eastern DRC has deteriorated dramatically”, said Special Representative Bintou Keita, noting that since October, the M23 rebel group had resumed hostilities and extended its control in North Kivu province.  
• Zambian police said they have found the bodies of 27 men who are suspected to be Ethiopian nationals (AS), “dumped” in a farming area on the outskirts of the capital, Zambian media reported.
• A hacking group, which researchers dubbed Thallium or Kimsuky, among other names, has long used “spear-phishing” emails that trick targets into giving up passwords or clicking attachments or links that load malware (Reuters). Now, however, through impersonation of trusted entities or people, it also appears to simply ask researchers or other experts to offer opinions or write reports.
• Tensions run high in Kosovo as Serbs block roads (Boston Herald). Tensions were high in northern Kosovo on Sunday, with Serbs blocking roads as shots and explosions rang out.
• Second Iranian detainee executed over alleged protest crime (Associated Press). Iran on Monday executed a second prisoner detained and convicted amid nationwide protests challenging the country’s theocracy , airing footage on state television it claimed shows him stabbing two security force members to death and running away.
• Assailants attack hotel in Afghan capital Kabul (AP News). A hotel catering to foreign visitors in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul was attacked Monday and three of the assailants were killed, a Taliban official said.

Demonstrations

• Two dead and four injured in Peru protests to demand elections (YAHOO!News). Two teens were killed and four people injured in Peru on Sunday during protests demanding the country hold general elections following the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo, police and local authorities said.
• Tens of thousands of people gathered in Bangladesh’s capital on Saturday to protest (Al Jazeera) high fuel prices and call for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Natural Disasters

• Heavy rainfall has caused floods across southern Malay Peninsula in Malaysia, and northern Sumatra in Indonesia (ERCC). In Malaysia, 2,550 people have been displaced to 29 evacuation centres. In Indonesia, nearly 46,500 people have been affected
• Over the past few days, heavy rainfall has affected several municipalities of Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil (ERCC), causing floods and severe weather-related events that resulted in casualties and damage.

Health

• Facing COVID surge, China expanding hospitals, ICUs (AP) Facing a COVID surge and trying to strengthen hospitals as it rolls back anti-virus controls that confined millions of people to their homes, crushed economic growth and set o protests. A Cabinet meeting called Thursday for “full mobilization” of hospitals including adding staff to ensure their “combat effectiveness” and increasing drug supplies, according to state media. Officials were told to keep track of the health of everyone in their area aged 65 and older.
• Authorities are urging indoor masking in major cities as the ‘tripledemic’ rages (NPR) Public health officials in the US are revisiting the topic of indoor masking, as three highly contagious respiratory viruses take hold during the holiday season. Over the past few weeks, a surge in cases of COVID, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus — known as RSV — has been sickening millions of Americans, overwhelming emergency rooms and even causing a cold medicine shortage. The triple threat has been called a “tripledemic” by some health experts. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted this past week that the simultaneous combination of viruses has been straining healthcare systems across the country.
• Europe Is Hit by Shortages of Antibiotics (WSJ) Countries across Europe are reporting shortages of antibiotics as demand for the medicines rises and manufacturers grapple with supply-chain snags. Amoxicillin, cephalosporins and other widely used antibiotics are in short supply, data from various countries show, raising concerns among doctors and officials about the availability of drugs that are relied on to treat conditions ranging from ear infections to pneumonia. Health groups and manufacturers attribute the shortages to several factors. Demand has rebounded following the lifting of pandemic-era restrictions that has resulted in more illness.
• Since the end of October 2022 and as of week 47 (ECDC), several EU/EEA countries have indicated an increase in paediatric hospitalisations due to RSV infections causing bronchiolitis, amidst concurrent circulation of other respiratory pathogens, such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. As a result, there is a high risk of significant pressure on the EU/EEA healthcare systems in the coming weeks and months, warns the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) according to a Risk Assessment published today.
• People with mpox should avoid contact with animals (CDC), including pets, domestic animals, and wildlife to prevent spreading the virus.
• Over 50 per cent of life-threatening bacterial infections are becoming resistant to treatment (UN News), WHO revealed in a new report published on Friday.

Humanitarian

• In Haiti, 4.7 million people, i.e. nearly half of the population, are in “crisis” conditions according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (ERCC), FAO’s Integrated Phase Classification for food insecurity (IPC3 or plus), with a constant increase in people in an emergency situation (1.8M in IPC4) and for the first time in Haiti 19,000 persons are in a catastrophic situation (IPC5). With armed gangs in charge of key transport routes in Haiti (UN News), the country could see famine conditions, unless a robust humanitarian aid plan is put in place, the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Haiti, Jean-Martin Bauer, has warned.
• In Ukraine the direst humanitarian situation remains in Bakhmut, Donetska oblast (ERCC), as the city has turned into “burnt ruins” after weeks of intense shelling. Attacks to rescuers delivering water was recorded, and evacuation of civilians driven solely by volunteers.

Please note the publication date of this report and go to the direct sources linked for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.

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