World Status Report
May 16, 2025
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 21 people dead in Mexico after multi-vehicle highway accident (Reuters) – At least 21 people died in an auto accident on Wednesday on a highway connecting Mexico’s Oaxaca and Puebla states, a top state official said. The accident involved three vehicles and that an unspecified number of other people were being treated for injuries.
- Rwanda’s army and its rebel group ally have killed dozens and abducted thousands (AP News) – Congolese authorities have accused Rwanda’s army and the M23 rebel group it backs of murdering dozens, kidnapping thousands more and committing rape, torture and looting in the war-torn country’s east.
- Indian army operation on Myanmar border kills 10 insurgents (Reuters) – The Indian Army said at least 10 militants were killed in an operation still underway in the troubled northeastern state of Manipur, bordering Myanmar. The deaths came months after Reuters reported in November that Indian militant groups that sought refuge in Myanmar and fought in its civil war had begun streaming back across the border to Manipur.
- Eighteen separatists killed in Papua region (Reuters) – Indonesia’s military has killed 18 Papuan separatists during an operation in its easternmost region of Papua, an official said on Thursday, and three civilians also died. The military seized dozens of munitions, including an assault rifle, bows and arrows and an unspecified homemade weapon during Wednesday’s operation, military spokesperson Kristomei Sianturi said in a statement.
- 54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city (ARAB News) – Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. There had been hope that Trump’s regional visit could usher in a ceasefire or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Environment
- Afghanistan – Floods and flash floods (ERCC) – As at 11 May, seven people were killed, 33 injured, and 183 families affected. Homes and public infrastructure were damaged, and cropland and livestock losses were reported.
- Somalia – Floods (ERCC) – As of 13 April, a total of 17 fatalities have been recorded, including nine in the Mogadishu capital city of the Banaadir region in southern Somalia, due to a flash floods that occured on 9 May. More than 84,000 people have been affected, 24,600 in Banadir region, and 8,100 have been displaced acrross 17 districts. In addition, in In Puntland State at least 1,500 houses and 11 schools have been affected.
Health
- Mpox activity escalates in Sierra Leone (CIDRAP) – Responding to the surge is a major focus, partly to prevent the spread to other West African countries.
Migration
- Haiti – Deportation of Haitians from Dominican Republic (ERCC) – 213,580 people have been deported to Haiti from the Dominican Republic between October 2024 and April 2025, for a monthly average of 30,511 people, a 71% increase compared to 2024. Since mid-April, the National Office for Migration (ONM) and humanitarian partners have assisted per day an average of 30 pregnant and breastfeeding women deported.
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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