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

• Pakistan closed a major border crossing (AP) with Afghanistan yesterday following an exchange of fire by border guards on either side. Elsewhere near the border, four Pakistani soldiers and twelve militants were killed after a group of assailants attacked two Pakistani military posts.
• Russia has cracked down on criticism of the Ukraine conflict (Reuters), with some war critics held multiple times for minor offences. Lawyers say such ‘carousel arrests’ are used to curb dissent and give authorities time to build cases.
• Armenia says Azerbaijan mobilizing troops in border regions (DW on MSN.com). Armenia claimed Azerbaijan will soon engage in a fresh “military provocation.” The announcement came as Armenia seeks greater security coordination with the US and drifts away from its traditional ally Russia.
• Police comb the UK and put airports on alert for an escaped prison inmate awaiting terrorism trial (The Associated Press). British police hunted across the country on Thursday and put ports and airports on alert for a former soldier who escaped from a London prison while awaiting trial on terrorism charges.

Event

• France boosts security at Rugby World Cup (AP). With no room for mistakes ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics, French authorities pledged Wednesday to mobilize a record number of police officers to guarantee a smooth Rugby World Cup in the wake of the chaos outside the stadium that marred the 2022 Champions League final. The Rugby World Cup starts on September 8 and ends on October 28.

Natural Disasters

• Indonesia – Floods, update (ERCC). Heavy rainfall and consequent floods continue to affect parts of Sumatra Island resulting in an increasing number of affected people and damage.
• Brazil – Severe weather (ERCC). Heavy rainfall, strong winds and hailstorms are still affecting the Rio Grande do Sul State (the southernmost State of Brazil), causing floods and several severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage.
• West and central Africa – Rainy season, update (ERCC). From the beginning of July up to the 4 September, the rainy season has been affecting several countries of west and central Africa, particularly Gambia, Guinea, Niger and Nigeria, causing floods and resulting in casualties (including 70 fatalities) and widespread damage.
• Greece, Türkiye, Bulgaria – Severe weather and floods (ERCC). Following the severe weather that has been affecting most of Greece, north-western Türkiye and south-eastern Bulgaria since 4 September, causing floods, landslides and severe weather-related incidents, the number of casualties and damage is increasing.
• India – Severe weather (ERCC). Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning have been affecting eastern India, in particular the Odisha State, since 2 September, causing several severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and severe damage.
• Amplified by wildfires and desert dust fanned by climate change, more frequent heatwaves are leading to a sharp drop in air quality and human health, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a new report on Wednesday (UN News). The adverse impacts of climate change have caused substantial damages and increasingly irreparable losses to ecosystems and human lives, triggering food shortages, loss of housing and infrastructure, migration of populations, and more. With further temperature increases, these extreme events will worsen and become harder to manage. Moreover, the effectiveness of adaptation measures diminishes with heightened warming.

Health

• In recent weeks, signals of SARS-CoV-2 transmission have increased from previously very low levels in the EU/EEA (ECDC). Large gatherings and increased travel during the seasonal holidays can contribute to increased mixing and the likelihood of transmission. SARS-CoV-2 remains capable of acquiring mutations that facilitate its continued circulation at unpredictable times throughout the year.
• Ethiopia – Cholera outbreak (ERCC). The case fatality rate of cholera in the region of Benishangul Gumuz has reached 14.29%. As of 31 August 2023, over 20,000 cholera cases have been reported in 204 districts  across the country – up from 12,000 cases and 71 districts in early July, showing a sharp increase. A total of 271 casualties have been registered over the last 12 months.
• As global warming leads to more frequent spells of extreme heat around the world, workers are among the most exposed to serious health risks because their livelihoods often depend on them carrying on regardless (Reuters). Heat exposure is already emerging as a source of worker grievance – be it the strikes by staff at the Greek Acropolis tourist site in July, or the successful suing of a Chinese employer last year for the heat stroke death of a cleaner.

Humanitarian

• South Sudan – funding shortfall amidst food insecurity crisis (ERCC). While being at the peak of projected food insecurity and in the midst of an increasingly deteriorating humanitarian, the World Food Program (WFP) in South Sudan is forced to recourse to famine prevention by cutting food distribution (partially or totally) due to funding shortfalls. 
• UN: Humanitarian Situation in Eastern DRC ‘Alarming’ (Voice of America). A senior U.N. official said Tuesday that the humanitarian situation has severely deteriorated in the eastern Congo, where 8 million people need assistance in three provinces and sexual violence has become endemic.

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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