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

• At least 19 civilians were killed in the Boucle du Mouhoun region in Burkina Faso on 10 and 12 February 2023 (ERCC), in two distinct attacks by non-state armed group(s) in the localities of Yaran and Sanakadougou, both in the Kossi province. These attacks, in addition to the killing of two humanitarian workers on 8 February, show a deterioration of the conflict in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, with a multiplication of security incidents in this region bordering Mali.
• Extreme violence and gross human rights abuses, including mass incidents of murder, gang rape and sniper attacks, have sharply increased in Cité Soleil (UN News) on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, said a UN report published on Friday.
• Independent UN human rights experts on Friday expressed grave concern over the deaths early last month of two young Black men in the United States (UN News), at the hands of police officers.
• Russian missiles and drones targeted infrastructure sites (Reuters) across Ukraine on Friday, damaging power facilities in six regions and prompting blackouts.
• Despite leadership losses and diminished cash reserves, the extremist group ISIL, or Da’esh, continues to pose a threat to international peace and security (UN News), the UN counter-terrorism chief warned on Thursday in New York. Their expansion in central and southern Africa, and the Sahel, remains particularly worrying. 

Demonstrations

• UK scheduled strikes. Feb 13 update (Metro) February has already seen an estimated 500,000 people across public and private sectors taking to the picket line over pay and conditions, and there is little sign of them backing down. Union leaders are announcing new strike dates weekly, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) expected to announce the first continuous 48-hour action, seen as an escalation in its pay dispute with the government.
• Protests in Pakistan over police response to park rape (UPI on MSN.com). The largest public park in Pakistan’s capital city was the site of the violent gang rape of a 24-year-old woman on Thursday and protesters are calling on law enforcement to step up its efforts to protect women.

Infrastructure

• Venezuelans say credit cards that were once lifeline now ‘useless’ (Reuters). Credit cards are becoming increasingly useless in Venezuela because of high inflation and government restrictions, hurting people already struggling to meet daily needs on low salaries, banking industry sources, analysts and consumers said.
• South Africa declares ‘Disaster’ over power cuts (NYT) With South Africa enduring daily power outages of up to 10 hours, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a nationwide “state of disaster” on Thursday to address an electricity crisis so dire that day-old chicks are freezing to death, supermarket owners are rushing to sell meat before it spoils and many businesses have been forced to shut down.

Natural Disasters

• Travelers should avoid nonessential travel to southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria (CDC). On February 6, 2022, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. The earthquake impacted infrastructure in both countries, limiting access to electricity, drinking water, and food supplies. Medical care may be limited or unavailable.
• Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide on 8 February in the state of Mérida in north-western Venezuela (ERCC), resulting in casualties and damage.
• Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in southern Mozambique in the past few days (ERCC), particularly Maputo City, and Province, and resulting in casualties, displacement, and damage.
• The Arequipa Department in southern Peru has been affected by floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall since Feb 5 (ERCC), and resulting in casualties, missing people, displacement, and damage.
• Floods and landslides due to heavy rainfall have been reported across New South Wales State (NSW) in south-eastern Australia (ERCC). 65 flood rescues were recorded across the State on 9-10 February, as authorities responded to nearly 1,340 calls for assistance
• Heavy rainfall, strong winds, heavy snowfall, and very low temperatures have been affecting Sicily and the Sardinia Islands over the past 24 hours (ERCC), causing some severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage.
• New Zealand city grinds to halt as deluge from cyclone looms (ABC News). Auckland residents hunkered down Monday as they braced for a deluge from Cyclone Gabrielle. Much of Auckland ground to a halt as train services were canceled, libraries and most schools were closed, and authorities asked people to make only essential trips.

Health

• The Danish Medicines Agency has reported 9 cases of infection with a multidrug-resistant carbapenemase-producing pathogen (ECDC) in patients treated with Dicillin 500 mg produced from the company Sandoz. Sandoz has recalled all Dicillin packages and put them in quarantine. There is a possibility of further cases being detected in the coming weeks in countries where contaminated batches of Dicillin have been distributed and sold.
• Malawi reported 42,427 cumulative confirmed cholera cases and 1,384 deaths on Feb 12 (ERCC). About 600 new cases continue to be reported daily. Case fatality rate remains too high (3.3%) although there are some signs of improvement in some Provinces and Districts.
• Africa is currently experiencing an exponential rise in cholera cases, amid a global surge in the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday (UN News). Besides Malawi, cases have been reported in neighbouring Mozambique and Zambia, as well as in Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria.
• US reports more H5N1 avian flu detections in mammals (CIDRAP). Species include skunk, raccoon, bobcat, red fox, grizzly bear, black bear, tiger, and mountain lion. WHO urges vigilance for avian flu spillovers; Cuba reports first H5N1 outbreak (CIDRAP) In Cuba, the virus struck wild birds that inhabit a zoo in Havana.
• Four African nations report new polio cases (CIDRAP). Four countries confirmed more cases this week, all involving circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.
• Equatorial Guinea quarantines 200 after unknown hemorrhagic fever deaths (Reuters). Equatorial Guinea has quarantined more than 200 people and restricted movement after an unknown illness causing hemorrhagic fever killed at least eight people, Health Minister Mitoha Ondo’o Ayekaba said on Friday as the government races to test samples. The outbreak was reported on Feb. 7, and from preliminary investigations, the deaths were linked to people who all took part in a funeral ceremony, Ayekaba said, adding the government had sent samples to neighbouring Gabon and will send others to Dakar in Senegal for further testing.  

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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