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 

• At least 55 civilians killed by militia fighters in northeastern Congo (AP News) – Militia fighters killed at least 55 civilians in an attack on a cluster of villages and a camp for displaced people in northeastern Congo, local authorities said Tuesday. Violence has surged across eastern Congo, where conflict has raged for decades. More than 120 armed groups are fighting in the region, most for land and control of mines with valuable minerals, while some are trying to protect their communities. 
• At least 55 are dead after a bus plunged into gorge in Guatemala (AP News) – At least 55 people are dead after their bus plunged into a gorge and landed under a bridge Monday on the outskirts of Guatemala’s capital. Investigators from the public ministry said that there were 53 bodies recovered at the scene and the San Juan de Dios Hospital confirmed that two passengers brought there had also died. 
• Turkey detains 10, widening crackdown on Istanbul’s opposition-held districts (ABC News) – Turkish police on Tuesday detained 10 senior officials of district municipalities in Istanbul over their alleged links to Kurdish militants, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, widening a crackdown on opposition-held districts in the city. The detainees include the deputy mayors of the districts of Kartal and Atasehir, along with eight district municipal council members, Anadolu reported. All suspects are members of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP. 

Environment 

• Philippines – Severe weather and floods, update (ERCC) – According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development 11,149 people have been displaced, of whom 8,804 evacuated inside 59 evacuation centres. Additionally, 120,381 people have been affected across 195 districts across the MIMAROPA and Central Visayas regions. 
• Indonesia – Severe weather, floods and landslides (ERCC) – As of 11 February, around 200 affected people- of whom some evacuated families – and more than 200 damaged buildings across the West Nusa Tenggara province. In addition, BNPB reports 160 affected people, 65 damaged houses in the Central Java province, and 23 affected families and 40 damaged houses across the West Java province. Moreover, the same source also reports 23 affected families across the South Sulawesi province. 
• Australia – Severe weather (ERCC) – As of 11 February, more than 20 rescued people across the Sydney metropolitan area, eastern New South Wales state due to flash floods. In addition, media also report a number of damaged buildings across the Sydney metropolitan area and the southern and central-western New South Wales state. 
• Colombia deforestation in 2024 among lowest levels in 23 years (Reuters) – Deforestation in Colombia in 2024 is expected to have reached a higher level than during the previous year but is still forecast to be among the lowest levels in more than two decades, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said on Monday. Deforestation fell by more than a third to just over 792 square kilometers in 2023, down from around 1,235 square kilometers in 2022, according to the environment ministry. 

Health 

• Ebola cases in Uganda rise to 9, while 265 others are being monitored under quarantine (AP News) – The nine include the first victim, a male nurse who died the day before the outbreak was declared on Jan. 30. That man remains the only fatality. Eight patients “are receiving medical care and are in stable condition,” a Health Ministry statement said. Seven of them were admitted to the main public hospital in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, in addition to one being treated in the eastern district of Mbale, the ministry said, adding that “the situation is under control” amid heightened surveillance. 
• Sexually transmitted infections continue to rise in Europe (CIDRAP) – The data from the latest ECDC annual epidemiologic reports on STIs show the notification rate for confirmed gonorrhea cases in European Union/European Economic Area countries rose by 31% in 2023 compared with 2022 and has risen by 321% since 2014. The increase was observed across different age groups and demographics but was steepest in women aged 20 to 24 (46%). Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 58% of gonorrhea cases. 

Humanitarian 

• Gaza: Return to war must be avoided at all costs (UN News) – More than 1.5 million people in Gaza have received food parcels since the ceasefire began. The World Food Program has distributed food parcels, hot meals and cash to more than 860,000 people in Gaza, OCHA said, and partners are providing more meals as community kitchens open in new areas. Repair work continues on water wells across the enclave. However, widespread destruction of infrastructure and shortages of spare parts, generators and solar panels have impacted efforts to increase water production. 

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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