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 

• Seven soldiers in Chad are killed in an explosion blamed on Boko Haram extremists (AP). An explosive device detonated and killed seven soldiers in Chad during a patrol in the country’s west near Lake Chad, the government says.
• Six killed in suicide attack on Chinese engineers in Pakistan (Reuters). A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam project in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing six people, police said, the third major attack on Chinese interests in the South Asian country in a week.

Israel – Hamas crisis

• 7 Lebanese and an Israeli killed in an exchange of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border (AP News). An Israeli airstrike on a paramedics center linked to a Lebanese Sunni Muslim group in south Lebanon killed seven of its members early Wednesday and triggered a rocket attack from Lebanon that killed one person in northern Israel, officials said.
• Three Palestinians killed in Jenin during Israeli raid, Palestinian ministry says (Reuters). Three Palestinians were killed and four others wounded by Israeli fire during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin overnight, the Palestinian health ministry said on Wednesday.
• Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on north and south of Gaza (Reuters). Israeli air strikes killed dozens of Palestinians at both ends of the Gaza Strip overnight, hitting the area around Al Shifa hospital in the north and Rafah on the southern edge where more than a million people have sought shelter.

Haiti crisis

• Hunger deepens as relentless gang violence targets Haiti’s capital (AP News). Gangs have intensified their rampage in the downtown area of Haiti’s capital, setting fire to a school and looting pharmacies across the road from the country’s largest public hospital.
• Canada begins evacuating vulnerable citizens from Haiti (Reuters). Canada on Monday began evacuating from Haiti Canadians who want to leave as gang violence spreads, prioritizing those who are vulnerable, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said.
• Death threats and security concerns hinder creation of council that will choose Haiti’s next leader (AP News). Fresh turmoil involving a transitional presidential council that will be responsible for choosing Haiti’s new leader triggered a flurry of meetings with Caribbean leaders and officials from the U.S., Canada and France, officials said Monday.

Demonstrations

• Indian opposition supporters detained ahead of protest at Modi’s home (Reuters). Police in the Indian capital detained dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday as they attempted to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence to protest against last week’s arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 
• Thousands protest against Hungary’s Orban after former insider leaks graft case tape (Reuters). Thousands of people protested in Budapest near parliament on Tuesday demanding the chief prosecutor and Prime Minister Viktor Orban resign after a former government insider accused a senior aide to Orban of trying to interfere in a graft case. 
• Brussels: Farmer protests turn violent, as EU ministers meet (Deutsche Welle). Police fired tear gas and deployed water cannons to keep protesting farmers at bay as agriculture ministers from the bloc met a few steps away to revise proposals to ease the crisis.
• Amid blackouts and scarce food, Cuba protests rattle ‘cradle’ of the Revolution (Reuters). The episode last Wednesday in Santiago – the site earlier this month of a rare public protest – provides a telling snapshot of the challenge facing Cuba’s government: When the power fails, tensions – even in areas sympathetic to Fidel Castro’s 1959 communist Revolution – begin to soar.

Infrastructure

• Gaza war: ‘Direct hits’ on more than 200 schools since Israeli bombing began (UN News). Of the 563 school buildings in Gaza, 165 of the 212 that received a direct hit are in areas designated for evacuation by the Israeli military. This includes 62 schools in southern Khan Younis governorate and 76 out of 94 schools in Gaza governorate, to the north. 
• Sudan war causes stoppages on South Sudan oil pipeline, officials say (Reuters). The main pipeline carrying oil from South Sudan through Sudan for export has been suffering stoppages since last month due to problems linked to the war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to three Sudanese officials.
• Germany to set up border controls for Euro 2024 (Deutsche Welle). As European countries like France raised terror alert levels after the attack on Moscow, Germany’s interior minister said border security will be bolstered ahead of this summer’s European Championship.

Environment

• Kenya – Floods (ERCC). Heavy rainfall has affected Kenya, in particular Nairobi City on 24-25 March, causing floods that have resulted in casualties and damage. 
• Mexico – Wildfires (ERCC). Several wildfires have been burning across 15 states in Mexico, in particular Morelos, and Veracruz since 24 March, causing evacuations and damage. According to media, as of 26 March, the worst wildfires are in Nogales, El Aserradero, Malrata Municipality and Mendoza City in Veracruz State, where the wildfires have burnt an area of approximately 3,500 ha 
• Brazil – Floods and landslides (ERCC). Following the heavy rainfall that has been affecting south-eastern Brazil, in particular the Espirito Santo State and Rio de Janeiro State, causing floods and triggering landslides, the number of casualties and severe damage is increasing. 
• Red alert for tropical cyclone GAMANE-24. Population affected by Category 1 (120 km/h) wind speeds or higher is 0.575 million (GDACS). From 25/03/2024 to 26/03/2024, a Severe Tropical Storm (maximum wind speed of 190 km/h) GAMANE-24 was active in SWIndian. The cyclone affects these countries: Madagascar (vulnerability High). Estimated population affected by category 1 (120 km/h) wind speeds or higher is 0.575 million. Madagascar – Tropical cyclone GAMANE (ERCC). Tropical cyclone GAMANE made landfall at 2.45 UTC in Ampisikina Municipality, Vohemar District, Sava Region, north-eastern Madagascar. On 27 March at 3.00 UTC, its centre was located inland in the Sava Region with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (tropical storm). 
• Indonesia – Landslide and floods (ERCC). After the landslide triggered by heavy rainfall that occurred in Cibenda village, West Bandung Regency, West Java Province on 24 March, the number of casualties has increased. 
• India – Severe weather (ERCC). Heavy rainfall, strong winds and thunderstorms have been affecting Tripura State in north-eastern India since 23 March, causing severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage. 
• Uruguay – Floods (ERCC). Following the heavy rainfall that continues to affect central and southern parts of Uruguay, causing floods, rivers overflow and landslides, the number of displaced people and damage is increasing. 

Health

• Somalia – Cholera outbreak (ERCC). In 2024, Somalia suffers a significant rise in cholera cases, with a total of 4,956 new cases reported since January. Among these cases, 3,054 (62%) are classified as severe, 2,503 (51%) are female, and 2,940 cases (59%) children under 5 years of age. The most affected districts are: Afgoye, accounting for 670 cases (14% of the national total cases), Beletweyn with 621 cases (13%) and Burhakaba, with 473 cases (10%). 
• Puerto Rico declares dengue a public health emergency (CIDRAP). A dengue outbreak that has sickened at least 549 Puerto Ricans so far this year—most in the capital city, San Juan—has caused public health officials in the U.S. territory to declare a public health emergency, according to media reports.
• Hepatitis A mostly associated with sexual transmission among MSM -multi-country- 2024 (ECDC). Between January 1 and March 18, 2024, 43 confirmed cases of hepatitis A were reported in Portugal, 26 (60%) with locally acquired infection. Of the 43 cases, 16 (37.2%) were in the context of sexual transmission, eight (18.6%) were food-related, two (4.7%) were caused by faecal-oral transmission excluding vertical or sexual, one case (2.3%) was transmitted in the context of drugs use and for 16 cases 37.2% there was no information on transmission.  
• Chikungunya and dengue – Multicountry (World) – Monitoring global outbreaks (ECDC). The majority of countries reporting high CHIKVD burden are located in South and Central America. Countries reporting highest number of cases are Brazil (71 487), Paraguay (2 760), Argentina (156), and Bolivia (126).  Most dengue cases were reported in the WHO PAHO region with a cumulative number of 1 874 021 suspected cases reported until week 8 of 2024 (ending 25 February 2024). According to the PAHO report of 7 March 2024, this is an increase of 249% compared to the same period in 2023. Brazil has reported over 1.5 million cases in 2024 already, and 278 deaths. 

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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