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 

• French troops to exit Senegal by end of 2025 (ALJAZEERA) – France and Senegal are setting terms for a withdrawal of all French soldiers stationed in the West African country by the end of this year. The two countries said in a statement on Wednesday that they are establishing a joint commission that would oversee the “departure of French elements” from the country and “a restitution of [military] bases” by year’s end. 
• At least 28 are hurt when a driver plows into a demonstration in Germany (AP News) – A driver drove a car into a labor union demonstration in central Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people including children, authorities said. Officials said it was believed to be an attack. 
• Five are missing after a fishing boat capsizes off a South Korean island (AP News) – Five people are missing after a fishing boat capsized off South Korea’s Jeju island on Wednesday, officials said. The coast guard of the island’s Seogwipo city said 10 crew members were aboard the 32-ton boat, which sent a distress signal at around 8 p.m. Rescue workers rescued five people, including the South Korean captain, three Vietnamese crew members and an Indonesian crew member. The coast guard said they appeared to have avoided life-threatening injuries. 
• Rwanda-backed rebels claim to have seized second Congo airport in advance towards Bukavu (AP News). Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo claimed Friday to have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance, as the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter. 

Infrastructure 

• Suspected gas blast at Taiwan mall kills four, injures 26 (Reuters) – A suspected gas explosion at a department store in Taiwan’s central city of Taichung killed at least four people and injured 26 on Thursday, among them tourists from the gambling hub of Macau, fire officials said. The blast on the building’s 12th Storey, where construction work was taking place, caused damage from the ninth floor upwards, the fire department said in a statement. 
• Grounded flights at Brussels Airport cause major travel delays in Belgium (EURO News) – Flights have been grounded in Belgium today, leaving thousands of Europeans stranded. Departing flights have been cancelled to guarantee “the safety of passengers and staff” after a a nationwide industrial strike was called for 13 February. Operations at Belgium’s largest air hub have been the most heavily affected, with some arrivals into Brussels Airport also cancelled. 
• US funding cuts threaten global health response (UN News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the impact of US funding cuts on critical global health initiatives, warning they pose a direct threat to public health efforts worldwide. Despite a waiver for life-saving services, prevention programs for at-risk groups remain excluded, clinics have closed, and health workers have been put on leave. 
• USAID funding freeze disrupts global tuberculosis control efforts (CIDRAP). Sources say the funding freeze is affecting all parts of the TB ecosystem. Over the past 2 weeks, in high-burden TB countries around the world, USAID-funded TB diagnosis and treatment services have had to close after receiving “stop-work” orders, leaving patients unable to obtain medicine or receive prompt diagnosis. TB medications that have already been purchased aren’t being distributed because USAID-funded workers in many countries are no longer getting paid.  

Environment 

• Philippines – Severe weather and floods, update (ERCC) – As of 12 February, nearly 11,000 evacuated people – of whom 10,317 in MIMAROPA, 289 in Eastern Visaya, and 338 in Bicol – across 128 evacuation centers, and around 4,700 displaced people across the three affected regions. In addition, the same source reports a total of approximately 164,800 affected people, of whom 63,440 in MIMAROPA, 94,919 across Eastern Visayas, and 6,437 in Bicol. 

Health 

• Uganda’s Ebola Sudan outbreak appears stable (CIDRAP). Health officials from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) today said Uganda’s Ebola outbreak has stabilized and is under control, with the ongoing epidemiologic investigation suggesting a single transmission chain. 

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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