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

• Seychelles – Explosion (ERCC). On 7 December, an explosion occurred at an explosives warehouse in Providence, which caused considerable damage to the industrial zone and the surrounding area, and injured at least 178 persons, according to the Ministry of Health. The Seychelles President issued a state of emergency that was lifted later that day.
• Sudan – International Humanitarian Law violations (ERCC). As ceasefire talks collapsed in Jeddah last week, due to the failure of both parties to fulfil their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, Sudan sees an upsurge in violence against civilians.
• International bodies reject moves to block Guatemala president-elect from taking office (AP News). International and regional leaders have rejected the latest attempt by Guatemalan prosecutors to prevent progressive President-elect Bernardo Arévalo from taking office on Jan. 14.
• Guyana agreed to talks with Venezuela over territorial dispute under pressure from Brazil, others (AP News). The government of Guyana, under pressure from neighboring Brazil and a Caribbean trading bloc, agreed Sunday to join bilateral talks with Venezuela over an escalating territorial dispute.
• Rebels in Congo take key outpost in the east as peacekeepers withdraw and fighting intensifies (AP News). Armed rebels seized a town in eastern Congo on Thursday after violently clashing with the army, which has taken on an expanded role as peacekeeping forces withdraw from the mineral-rich, conflict-stricken region.
• 11 dead in clash between criminal gang and villagers in central Mexico (AP News). Eleven people were killed in a clash Friday between gunmen from a criminal gang and residents of a small farming community in central Mexico, authorities said.
• Mob of Greek volleyball fans severely injure riot police (Euronews). Football in Greece is plagued by endemic fan violence, which often spreads to other sports, such as basketball and volleyball.
• French warship shoots down two drones coming from Yemen (Reuters). A French warship operating in the Red Sea has shot down two drones that were launched at it from the Yemen coast, the defense ministry said on Sunday.

Infrastructure

• In a letter (UNRWA) to the President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, warned that UNRWA’s ability to implement its mandate in Gaza is “severely limited” and that the primary platform for humanitarian assistance to over 2.2 million people in Gaza is “on the verge of collapse”. The World Health Organization chief said it will be all but impossible to improve the “catastrophic” health situation in Gaza (Reuters) even as the board passed an emergency motion by consensus to secure more medical access.
• Much of Kenya falls into darkness in the third nationwide power blackout in 3 months (Africa News). A power blackout hit Kenya on Sunday evening, paralyzing large parts of the country, and the transport minister called for an investigation into “possible acts of sabotage and coverup” over the third nationwide outage in three months.

Environment

• Seychelles – Floods (ERCC). Heavy rainfall has been affecting the Seychelles since 6 December, causing flooding and landslides that have resulted in casualties and damage.
• Chile – Wildfires (ERCC). Several wildfires continue to burn across central Chile, in particular Valparaiso, O’Higgins and Santiago Metropolitan Regions since 6 December, causing population evacuation and damage.
• USA – Severe weather (ERCC). Heavy rainfall, strong winds, thunderstorms affected Tennessee State, south-eastern United States of America on 9 December, and have resulted in casualties and damage.
• Indonesia – Volcanic eruption, update (ERCC). As of 7 December, the activity of Mount Marapi, 2,891 m above sea level, located in the Agam Regency, West Sumatra Province, is still ongoing and 13 eruptions have been recorded by the authorities during the last 24 hours.
• India – Cyclone Michaung, update (ERCC). Cyclone Michaung, followed by heavy to very heavy rainfall inundated many districts and cities in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh States. Relief action by Government and civil society is underway. Some areas remain inaccessible in both states, with people unable to reach assistance.
• Tanzania – Floods and landslides, update (ERCC). Heavy rainfall affected northern Tanzania, in particular the Manyara Region, over the period from 2 to 6 December, causing severe floods, flash floods and triggering several landslides that have resulted in more casualties and widespread damage.

Health

• On 5 December 2023, Romania’s Ministry of Health declared a national measles epidemic (ECDC), paving the way for the first MMR vaccine dose to be given to children from nine months of age. This outbreak poses a risk of potential repeated exportation to other EU/EEA countries and consequently continuous transmission in some of them, where vaccination coverage is sub-optimal.
• There have been reports of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in people traveling to the United States from Tecate, in the state of Baja California, Mexico (CDC). Ticks spread the bacteria that causes RMSF. If you are traveling, learn how to avoid ticks.
• Beef products banned in Uganda amid anthrax outbreak (BBC). There’s a ban on selling beef products in Uganda, as the authorities try to stop an anthrax outbreak spreading from Kyotera district in the central region.
• Five African countries report anthrax outbreaks, over 1100 cases recorded since the start of the year (WHO). A total of 1166 suspected and 37 confirmed cases have been recorded in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe – where the disease is endemic, with seasonal outbreaks every year – according to data reported to World Health Organization (WHO)

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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