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 

• Ukraine: Mine contamination is lethal legacy of Russia’s invasion (UN News) – An estimated 100 million people in more than 60 countries and territories live under the threat of landmines and explosive ordnance – with war-torn Ukraine now the most heavily contaminated country in the world 
• Gunmen kill at least 52 people in Nigeria’s Plateau state (Reuters) – Gunmen have killed at least 52 people and displaced nearly 2,000 others over several days of attacks in Nigeria’s northern Plateau state, which has a history of violence between farmers and cattle herders, the national emergency agency said. The reason for the attacks in six villages in Plateau’s Bokkos district last week was not immediately known but it is the worst outbreak of violence since December 2023, when more than 100 people were killed in the same district. 
• 1 killed in Russian attack on Kyiv as death toll from earlier missile strike rises to 19 (ABC News) – One person was killed Sunday as Russian air strikes hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while the death toll from Friday’s deadly attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih continued to rise.  
• At least 9 people killed in southwestern Syria following countrywide Israeli strikes overnight (AP News) – Israeli strikes in Syrian Arab Republic reportedly killed at least nine people in the southwest of the country on Thursday, as Israel accused Türkiye of trying to build a “protectorate” in Syria. 

Demonstrations 

• Amazon shipping route for Brazilian soy disrupted by protests (Reuters) – Indigenous protests and poor roads have disrupted shipping of Brazil’s bumper soybean crop in recent days via the river port of Miritituba in the Amazon rainforest, worrying global companies including Cargill and Bunge, which have important operations. 
• Another summer of disruption? Spain’s anti-tourism protests reignite ahead of Easter break (Euro News) – Last summer, Spain erupted with protests driven by the soaring tourist numbers putting a strain on residents’ daily lives. More than 90 million foreign visitors descended on the country in 2024, and consultancy firm Braintrust estimates the number of arrivals will rocket to 115 million by 2040. As the Easter holidays approach, the anti-tourism sentiment is brewing once again, and protests are ramping up. 

Environment 

• Democratic Republic of the Congo – Floods (ERCC) – As of 7 April, at least 30 people died in the capital Kinshasa, due to the overflow of the Ndjili River, several roads and houses have been destroyed, power outages have been recorded, and water supply was cut off. 
• Brazil – Floods (ERCC) – As of 6 April, 380 people have been displaced and are being sheltered in four shelters in the municipality of Angra dos Reis, located in the southwest of Rio de Janeiro state, in the Southeast Region of Brazil. The state had declared a state of emergency on 5 April. The local civil defense has issued further alerts for a high risk of landslides on 6 April for the Baixada Fluminense, Costa Verde, Sul, and Serrana regions. Non-emergency health services have been suspended. 
• Spain – Severe weather (ERCC) – On 4-5 April, southern Spain, in particular the cities of Coria del Río and Seville, in the province of Seville, have been affected by heavy rain and winds of up to 120 km/h, resulting in flooding and severe weather-related incidents, that caused fatalities and damage. As of 5 April, three people died in Coria del Río, due to strong winds. Roads were blocked and metro services were suspended. 

Health 

• US measles total tops 600 cases, with almost 500 in Texas (CIDRAP). Fueled by outbreaks in multiple states, including a large one centered in west Texas, the nation’s measles total reached 607 cases today, with 124 new cases reported over the past week, according to an update today from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
• WHO highlights need for better drugs, diagnostics for deadly fungal infections (CIDRAP). The World Health Organization (WHO) this week published two reports spotlighting gaps in adequate medicines and diagnostic tests for treating and detecting invasive fungal diseases, such as Candida auris, including a dearth of new drugs and drug candidates in advanced trials. More than 6.5 million fungal infections occur annually and cause 3.8 million deaths, according to WHO data. 

Humanitarian 

• Aid cuts threaten to roll back progress in ending maternal mortality (UN News) – One woman continues to die during pregnancy and childbirth every two minutes on average worldwide – that’s 712 each and every day. Furthermore, unprecedented aid cuts are putting global progress to end maternal deaths at risk, UN agencies have warned in a new report that calls for greater investment in midwives and other health workers. It shows that maternal deaths declined by 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023, largely due to improved access to essential health services. 

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. 

---

Tags

---

Related Posts

---