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 

• UN officials call for ceasefire compliance after 15 people killed in Lebanon (UN News) – Top UN officials in Lebanon are calling for compliance with the ongoing ceasefire after reports that Israeli forces killed 15 people, including a Lebanese soldier, along the buffer zone with Israel, which Israel was due to withdraw from on Sunday under the agreement 
• Sudan – Attacks on civilians (ERCC) – At least 70 people have been killed and 19 others injured in an attack on the only functional hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur. The hospital was fully occupied at the time of the attack on 24 January. The victims were mainly patients and accompanying relatives, including children. The Rapid Support Forces, which have been threatening to attack the city for days, are reportedly behind the drone attack. Another 20 civilians may have been killed on the road between El Fasher and Zamzam displacement camp. 
• South Sudanese authorities have suspended access to social media platforms for a minimum of 30 days (Reuters) after videos depicting the alleged killings of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan’s El Gezira state triggered riots and deadly revenge attacks. 
• Ecuador arrests leader of Los Lobos, powerful crime syndicates targeted by U.S. (CBS News) – A leader of one of Ecuador’s biggest crime syndicates Los Lobos was arrested Friday at his home in the coastal city of Portoviejo, the military said. A large amount of cash was found at his home, along with armored vehicles, drugs and weapons. The armed forces released images of the arrest on social media, showing a shirtless “El Chino” and at least two other detained suspects. 
• Sweden seizes vessel suspected of ‘sabotage’ after undersea data cable rupture in Baltic Sea (AP News) – Swedish prosecutors announced Sunday night that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated “sabotage” and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland earlier that day. 
• ISWAP fighters kill at least 20 soldiers in Borno attack (Africa News) – The attack targeted the 149th Battalion at an army base in Malam-Fatori, Borno State, near the border with Niger. The assault lasted over three hours, with ISWAP militants arriving in gun trucks, overwhelming the troops, according to a surviving soldier. “They rained bullets everywhere,” the soldier said, describing how they fought back but were eventually overpowered. 
• Police kill a man who set himself on fire outside a Tunisian synagogue (AP News) – The man started the fire after sundown Friday, around the time the synagogue holds Sabbath prayers. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the man advanced toward a law enforcement officer while ablaze, and a second officer opened fire to protect his colleague. The officer was hospitalized with burns, as was a passerby, the statement said. 
• Rwandan-backed M23 rebels claim to have seized Goma (NPR), a key city in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Yesterday, the sound of artillery fire could be heard across the city and thousands of people carrying their belongings rushed for the city center, trying to escape the fighting. 

Demonstrations 

• Greece: Mass protests demand justice for rail crash victims (DW) – Protesters demonstrated across Greece two years after the country’s deadliest rail disaster. They are frustrated by the lack of punishment for those responsible and believe the government is hiding the truth. There were protests in nearly 100 Greek cities and 13 other places worldwide. In Greece, marches took place in the largest cities, Athens and Thessaloniki. About 30,000 people joined the demonstration in Athens, while around 16,000 demonstrated in Thessaloniki. 
• Thousands march in Germany as AfD launches election campaign (DW). Thousands of Germans took to the streets in several cities to protest the rise of far-right extremism and the growing popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. 

Environment 

• Chile – Wildfires (ERCC) – Several wildfires have been affecting Chile, particularly one located close to San Javier de Loncomilla town (Maule region, central Chile) called “Villaboro” which is still under combat and is affecting 500 ha. According to IFRC, two people have been injured and 500 have been displaced following this event. 
• Brazil – Floods and severe weather in São Paulo City (ERCC) – On 24 January, heavy rain affected São Paulo city, south-eastern Brazil, causing floods and severe weather-related incidents that resulted in damage. 180,000 people have been affected experiencing power outages while several structures have been damaged or destroyed by severe flooding triggered by the heavy rain. 
• Australia – Wildfires (ERCC) – Several bushfires have been burning across the south-western part of Western Australia state. As of 25 January, 20 evacuated people, and three destroyed houses in the Arthur river area, due to a bushfire that burnt an area of 11,000 ha. Warnings have been issued for Arthur river, Wedgecarrup, Lime Lake, Cartmeticup, Woodanilling, Boyerine and Westwood villages. 

Health 

• New polio cases confirmed in Pakistan, DR Congo (CIDRAP) – Pakistan’s 3 new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 occurred in December, raising the 2024 total to 73 cases. 

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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