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 

• Israel kills Hezbollah commander in airstrike on Beirut (Reuters) – An Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday killed a Hezbollah commander who was a leading figure in its rocket division, two security sources in Lebanon said, as fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East mounted. The sources identified the commander who was killed as Ibrahim Qubaisi. The attack, in which six people were killed, dealt another blow to the Iran-backed group which has faced a series of setbacks at the hands of Israel over the past week. 
• Sudan crisis must not be forgotten by world leaders (UN News) – Ongoing heavy fighting in Sudan has continued to kill and uproot the country’s people who global leaders should remember as they gather in New York on Tuesday, UN humanitarians have said. 
• Ecuador Gangs Target Prison Chiefs to Regain Control (OSAC) – The murder of the head of Ecuador’s largest men’s prison appears to be the latest act of violence by prison gangs in their ongoing attempt to reestablish control over the penitentiary system. On the night of September 12, armed men fatally shot María Daniela Icaza, director of the Litoral Penitentiary in eastern Guayaquil, the country’s largest men’s prison and the site of some of the most harrowing massacres that have shaken Ecuador in recent years. 
• German police will increase the number of bodyguards for leading politicians (AP News) – A German police office that provides security for leading politicians says it plans to increase the number of bodyguards significantly over the coming years, citing growing dangers at home and abroad as the next national election nears. 
• Russian forces storming east Ukrainian town of Vuhledar (Reuters) – Russian forces have begun storming the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, a stronghold that has resisted Russian attack since the beginning of the 2022 war, according to Russian war bloggers and state media. Russian forces in eastern Ukraine advanced at their fastest rate in two years in August, according to multiple open source maps, even though a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region sought to force Moscow to divert troops. 

Demonstrations 

• Ghana police arrest dozens of protesters denouncing the government’s handling of the economy (Africa News) – Dozens of people who took to the streets of the capital to demonstrate over perceived economic mismanagement by the government have been arrested. Crowds had also been voicing their concern over the government’s handling of illegal mining, a practice that harms the environment.  

Environment 

• Bolivia – Wildfires, update (ERCC) – Several wildfires have been impacting Santa Cruz and Beni departments in eastern and northern Bolivia since July, resulting in evacuations and damage. As of 24 September, IFRC reports that an area of 3,872,498 ha has been burnt affecting 27 municipalities. As of 16 September, according to the same source, two people died, at least 25,335 people have been affected and approximately 60 houses have been affected. 
• Cambodia, Laos – Floods (ERCC) – Heavy rain has been affecting Cambodia and Laos since 5 September, causing floods and landslides that have resulted in displacement and damage. According to the World Food Program (WFP) and Cambodia Humanitarian Response Forum (HRF), as of 23 September, 53 households have been evacuated, at least 8,865 people and 1,163 houses have been affected by floods in central Cambodia. In northern Laos, four provinces have been impacted where at least 40,000 people have been impacted across 20 severely affected villages. 
• India – Monsoon rains, update (ERCC) – Heavy rainfall due to the Southwest Monsoon and widespread floods have continued to affect India in the last months, causing casualties and damage. The National Emergency Response Centre (NDMI) reports that, as of 23 September, there have been five fatalities, 10,184 displaced people, approximately 6,29 million affected people and 53 damaged houses. In addition, according to Sphere India, floods have been severely affecting Bihar state in northern India, where eight casualties, 36,799 displaced people, and 1.2 million affected people across 12 districts have been reported.  

Health 

• 1.3 billion teens suffering mental disorders, Russia’s Indigenous Peoples face ‘extinction’ (UN News) – At least one in seven youngsters has a mental disorder. That’s the warning from the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which has appealed for much greater investment to help almost 1.3 billion teenagers globally. 

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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