World Status Report
August 3, 2023
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
- Sudan conflict displaces nearly four million (UN News). Latest data from IOM’s displacement matrix indicates that the clash between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries has uprooted a staggering number of people, with more than 926,000 seeking refuge abroad and a total of 3.02 million internally displaced. According to IOM’s latest humanitarian situation update, individuals have been forced to leave all of Sudan’s 18 states.
- Poland rushes troops to border, Belarus denies helicopter violation (Reuters on MSN.com). Poland said on Tuesday it was rushing troops to its eastern border after accusing Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, of violating its airspace with military helicopters. Belarus’s defense ministry denied any airspace violation, according to state media.
- Sao Paulo police kill 14 people in raid as they investigate the slaying of an elite officer (AP News). The death toll from an ongoing raid in Sao Paulo state has climbed to 14, as law enforcement agents sought to strike at the people they blame for killing an elite squad officer last week.
- El Salvador sends 8,000 troops and police officers to comb rural province in massive anti-gang raid (AP News). El Salvador sent about 8,000 soldiers and police officers to comb the rural province of Cabañas for street gang members Tuesday, in one of the most massive raids since President Nayib Bukele declared a crackdown on the gangs in March 2022.
- The Ministry of State Security of China called on the general public to support government efforts to root out espionage (SCMP) in an article published on the social media platform WeChat yesterday. A legislative amendment passed in April broadened the definition of spying and gave law enforcement officials more authority to inspect electronic devices.
- Niger announced overnight that it was reopening its borders with several of its neighbors (Reuters), a week after a coup that has been condemned by foreign powers and raised fears of a wider conflict in West Africa’s Sahel region.
Infrastructure
- Russia struck a Ukrainian port (Reuters) today across the Danube River that has served as Kyiv’s main channel for exporting grains since Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal last month. The attacks have sent grain prices higher as Russia escalates its attempt to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain.
Natural Disasters
- Vietnam – Severe weather, update (ERCC). Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains on 30-31 July in Lam Dong, Binh Thuan, and Bac Lieu Provinces in central and southern Vietnam resulted in casualties and damage.
- Mexico – Floods (ERCC). Since 29 July, southern Veracruz State, south-eastern Mexico, is experiencing heavy rainfall that caused floods and resulted in widespread damage.
- China – Tropical cyclone DOKSURI, update (ERCC). The remnants of tropical cyclone DOKSURI reached Beijing City, Tianjin Municipality, Shanxi and Hebei Province, eastern China, after it made landfall on 28 July over Fujian Province, causing floods, triggering landslides and resulting in casualties and damage.
- Japan – Tropical cyclone KHANUN, update (ERCC). According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 11 people have been injured in Okinawa Prefecture while almost 700,000 people are under evacuation orders in Okinawa Prefecture as well as more than 5,100 others in Kagoshima Prefecture. 210,000 homes in Okinawa are without power, and the airport in Naha remains closed.
- Guatemala – Severe weather, update (ERCC). Heavy rainfall and strong winds continue to affect most of Guatemala since May 2023, causing floods, landslides and a number of severe weather-related incidents that resulted in casualties and damage.
Health
- Two new outbreaks of H5N1 avian flu have been reported (CIDRAP). One in the United States, and another one in the Netherlands. Both outbreaks were in poultry.
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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