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

• Israeli troops on Wednesday stormed into Gaza’s largest hospital (AP), searching for traces of Hamas inside and beneath the facility filled with hundreds of patients.
• A rebel group said today that dozens of members of Myanmar’s security forces had surrendered or been captured (Reuters) as rebel insurgents have gained ground across the country.
• A Russian missile smashed into an apartment block in the sleepy eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove on Wednesday (Reuters), killing two people and wounding at least three others, Ukrainian officials said.
• Syrian government forces and Russia have stepped up the bombardment of northwest Syria (Al Jazeera), killing dozens of people, including children, and wounding hundreds of others, opposition leaders and emergency volunteers have said, at a time when Israel’s war on Gaza is holding the world’s attention

Demonstrations

• Belize suspends ties with Israel over Gaza bombardment (Al Jazeera). Belize’s decision follows similar moves by several other countries. Bolivia broke relations with Israel on November 1, while Colombia, Chile and Honduras have recalled their ambassadors. Turkey, Bahrain, Jordan, Chad, and South Africa have all withdrawn their top diplomats since the war broke out.

Infrastructure

• At least 30 killed in Indian-administered Kashmir bus accident (Al Jazeera). At least 30 people have been killed and more than two dozen injured after a passenger bus slid off a Himalayan highway and rolled down a steep slope onto another road in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials say.
• A minibus taxi crashed head on with a truck in southwestern Zimbabwe, killing 22 people, police said Wednesday (AP). Road accidents are common in Zimbabwe, where some drivers overload their vehicles and exceed the speed limit. The poor condition of Zimbabwe’s roads has also been blamed for contributing to crashes, despite government efforts to pave some major highways in recent years.

Events

• The UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28) will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from Nov 30 to Dec 12 of 2023. The conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, industry leaders, academics, and representatives from non-accredited delegates and other voices organizations

Environment

• Somalia – Floods, update (ERCC). The humanitarian impact is still increasing following the Deyr Rainy Season, impacted by the El Niño effect, and related widespread floods that have been affecting Somalia since October. According to UN OCHA, as of 14 November, at least 32 people died, almost 457,000 were displaced and over 1.24 million were affected.
• Indonesia – Floods (ERCC). Since 13 November, heavy rainfall and river overflow have been affecting Sumatra Island in Indonesia, in particular the Aceh and North Sumatra Province, causing flooding that have resulted in casualties and damage.
• Kenya – Floods, update (ERCC). Heavy rainfall continues to impact 19 of the 47 counties of Kenya, causing floods and the overflow of some rivers, particularly the Tana River, that resulted in casualties and damage. Overall Orange alert Flood in Kenya (GDACS). Local media in Kenya reported fatalities and material damages caused by heavy rain and floods in Marsabit and Busia counties from late October 2023. Heavy rain continued with flooding reported in numerous counties including Mandera, Samburu, Meru, Isiolo, Makueni, Kitui, Garissa, Tana River, Wajir, Nandi and Turkana, as well as areas of Mombassa. Communities in Mandera County were among the hardest hit. On 08 November, UNOCHA reported 10,230 households (61,380 people) affected across the country, with 36,000 people displaced and 17 fatalities. Thousands of livestock perished and wide areas of agricultural farmland were damaged. In a TV interview of 12 November, Dr. Ahmed Idris is the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, reported 46 dead and 58,000 displaced across 19 counties in the country, with northern areas worst affected.
• Vietnam – Severe weather, floods and landslides (ERCC). Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds affected several parts of Vietnam on 13-14 November, causing floods and landslides that resulted in casualties and damage.
• The number of fires this month in Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, has already surged to its highest level on record (Reuters) for November, according to the country’s space research agency. Weather experts point to a combination of climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon.
• Greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high in 2022 with “no end in sight to the rising trend”, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a report published on Wednesday (UN News). The current trajectory “puts us on the pathway of an increase in temperatures well above the Paris Agreement targets by the end of this century,” Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-General added, referring to global efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. As a result, countries will experience more extreme weather, including intense heat and rainfall, ice melt, sea-level rise and ocean heat and acidification.
• A new report from UN Climate Change finds national climate action plans remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement (UNFCC). The latest science from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. This is critical to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall.

Health

• Sudan – Cholera outbreak, update (ERCC). On 6-10 November, DG ECHO performed a mission to Gedaref, a locality affected by the cholera outbreak declared in Sudan on 26 September. As of 9 November, at least 2,525 suspected cases, including 78 associated deaths, have been reported in seven states. The conflict that started seven months ago led to the world’s largest internally displacement crisis and widespread destruction of health infrastructure. Over 3.1 million people are estimated to be at risk of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera.

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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