070919 – World Status Report

When traveling on behalf of UT Dallas, set up your institutional safety net and prepare for an emergency as a standard step of all your travels.  Find more information in the Traveler Best Practices webpage.

The risk information in this report is retrieved from U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other professional sources as listed in the post. It provides general guidance for UT Dallas travelers.

Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.

Avoid Nonessential Travel

Conflict and Terrorism

• Egypt – U.S. Department of State – Exercise increased caution in Egypt due to terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Do not travel to The Sinai Peninsula (with the exception of travel to Sharm El Sheikh by air) due to terrorism; the Western Desert due to terrorism; Egyptian border areas due to military zones. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
• Lebanon – GC.CA – Avoid all travel to the southern suburbs of Beirut, due to the presence of armed groups and the risk of violence from organized crime, kidnappings and threat of terrorist attacks, and to some areas of North Lebanon, due to the unpredictable security situation.
• Russia – GOVT.NZ – Do not travel to Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino Balkaria, Karachai Cherkessia, Republic of North Ossetia and the south east parts of Stavropol Krai in the North Caucasian Federal District. Terrorism, kidnapping and military activity in these areas presents a significant risk to security. Do not travel within 10 kilometres of the border with the Ukrainian Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts due to ongoing violent conflict and the volatile security situation. Exercise increased caution elsewhere in Russia due to the threat of terrorism and crime.
• Saudi Arabia – GC.CA – Avoid all travel to areas within 80 km of the border with Yemen, due to rocket, missile and mortar attacks on Saudi population centres near the border. Avoid non essential travel to the Abha International Airport, in Asir Province, due to the risk of missile and drone attacks. Avoid non essential travel to Qatif and surrounding suburbs, such as Al Awamiya, in Eastern Province. Ongoing tensions between Saudi security forces and local militants create potential for unrest.
• Saudi Arabia – GOV.AU – Military conflict in neighbouring Yemen is ongoing. Some missile and drone attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including airports. Reconsider your need to travel. Higher levels apply in some areas.
• Venezuela – GOV.AU – Venezuela’s land borders with Brazil and Colombia have re opened. We continue to advise you do not travel Venezuela.

Crime and Social Unrest

• Haiti- GC.CA – Avoid non essential travel to Haiti due to the potential for civil unrest throughout the country. The security situation could deteriorate quickly. Violent protests occurred in Port Au Prince and other cities across the country since the beginning of 2019. Clashes, sometimes involving the use of firearms, resulted in casualties. Social tension remains and the situation is still fluid and unpredictable. Demonstrations and strikes could occur without notice and disrupt transportation. If you currently are in Haiti avoid large gatherings, plan to have adequate fuel, water and food supplies, avoid crossing road blockades, even if they appear unattended.

Other

• Japan – GOVT.NZ – Do not travel to the areas near the Fukushima Dai ichi nuclear power plant designated by the Japanese Government as Areas under Evacuation Orders (as identified on the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry website) due to the risk of radiation.

Take Enhanced Precautions

Conflict and Terrorism

• Afghanistan – UNNews – Scores of children were among the casualties following a bomb attack on a Government building in the Afghan capital of Kabul today, that hit nearby schools.
• Ghana – GOVT. NZ – exercise increased caution around Bawku, Brong Ahafo, Cheriponi, Tamale municipality, Yendi district and the area around Bimbilla due to the potential for violent conflict, and exercise normal safety and security precautions elsewhere in Ghana.
• Libya – UNNews – The toll from Tuesday’s reported airstrikes on a detention centre in the suburbs of Tripoli has risen to 53 dead and more than 130 injured among the surviving migrants and refugees, UN aid agencies said on Friday, reiterating their appeal to close all such facilities in the embattled country.
• Tunisia – GC.CA – There is a threat of terrorism. Terrorist attacks have occurred throughout Tunisia. Since 2015, tourist resorts and attractions, as well as Tunisian military and state institutions have been targeted, and further attacks cannot be ruled out. On June 27, 2019, two suicide bombings occurred in downtown Tunis, killing two persons and injuring several others. Other parts of the country are also at risk of terrorist attacks.
• Tunisia – GOV.UK – A state of emergency, in effect since a suicide attack on a police bus on 24 November 2015, has been extended several times, most recently on 5 June 2019 by one month. You should be vigilant at all times and follow the advice of local security officials, including in and around religious sites. Crowded areas, government installations, transportation networks, businesses with Western interests, and areas where foreign nationals and tourists are known to gather may be at higher risk of attack. You should be particularly vigilant in these areas and follow any specific advice of the local security authorities. In more remote areas of the country, including tourist sites in southern Tunisia, security forces’ response times to an incident may vary. There’s a heightened risk of terrorism against aviation interests. Additional security measures have been in place on flights departing from Tunisia to the UK since March 2017. You should co operate fully with security officials.
• World – UNNews – Some 464,000 people across the world were victims of homicidal violence in 2017, more than five times the number killed in armed conflict over the same period, UN researchers said on Monday.

Crime and Social Unrest

• Chile – GOV.UK – Mugging and pickpocketing can be accompanied by violence in areas popular with tourists in Santiago and Valparaiso; you should be vigilant; don’t carry large amounts of money, your passport (a photocopy is sufficient if needed) or wear valuable watches or jewellery; avoid using your mobile phone in the street; local authorities recommend you do not resist the muggers.
• Sudan – UNNews – After nationwide protests across Sudan on Sunday, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday called on Sudanese authorities to lift restrictions on the internet and launch independent investigations into all acts of violence against demonstrators, and allegations of excessive force, including attacks on hospitals.
• Vietnam – GC.CA – Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs from time to time, particularly in larger cities. Instances of petty crime may increase before major public holidays, especially Tet (Lunar New Year). Criminals are more likely to target hotels and tourist areas. Bag slashing is a frequent occurrence in crowded streets and markets. Avoid showing signs of affluence and ensure that your personal belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times.

Demonstrations

• Costa Rica – GOV.UK – There has been disruption to local travel due to protests by lorry drivers. These have taken place in different locations around the country, at times affecting access to San Jose airport, and could reoccur without warning. Check local traffic information before planning your journey.

Health

• Europe – ECDC – During the West Nile virus infection transmission season, expected to be from June to November 2019, EU Member States have reported 285 outbreaks among equids. No human case or equine outbreak has been reported so far in 2019.
• Pakistan – WHO – On 25 April 2019, the local administration in Larkana district was alerted by media reports of a surge in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases among children in Ratodero Taluka, Larkana district, Sindh province, Pakistan. From 25 April through 28 June 2019, a total of 30,192 people have been screened for HIV, of which 876 were found positive. Eighty two per cent (719/876) of these were below the age of 15 years. During the screening, several risk factors were identified, including: unsafe intravenous injections during medical procedures; unsafe child delivery practices; unsafe practices at blood banks; poorly implemented infection control programs; and improper collection, storage, segregation and disposal of hospital waste. This is the fourth reported outbreak of HIV in Larkana district since 2003.
• Peru – ECDC – In 2019, the Peruvian Ministry of Health has detected an unusual number of cases of acute neurological syndrome thought to be Guillain Barré syndrome. The cases are widespread in several regions across the country and the aetiology is unknown. Between 22 and 26 June, Peruvian authorities reported 36 additional Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) cases.

Law and Culture

• Botswana – GC.CA – Botswana law does not prohibit sexual acts between individuals of the same sex. However, homosexuality is not widely accepted in Botswana.
• Myanmar – UNNews – Marginalized communities in Myanmar still face human rights violations at the hands of security forces, a UN appointed independent expert said this week, while repeating her call for an international and independent probe into the 2017 exodus from Rakhine state.

Natural Disasters and Climate

• Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe – GDACS – The drought has lasted for 8 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events. The drought alert level is Red.
• India – GDACS – The drought has lasted for 4 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events. The drought alert level is Red.
• India, Sri Lanka – GDACS – The drought has lasted for 6 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events. The drought alert level is Red.
• Italy – GOV.AU – On 3 July, there was a volcanic eruption on the island of Stromboli, near Sicily. Local authorities are monitoring the situation and responding. If you’re in the area, follow the advice of local authorities.
• Kenya –  GDACS – The drought has lasted for 4 months. Drought indicators suggest anomalies typical of severe to extreme events.The drought alert level is Red.
• United States – GC.CA – On July 5, 2019, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Searles Valley in California. If you are in or around the affected areas monitor local media, follow the instructions of local authorities.

Other

• Democratic Republic of the Congo – UNNews – Food aid is being tripled for Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to respond to what the World Food Programme (WFP) has described as the world’s second largest hunger crisis in the world, after Yemen.
• India – GC.CA – The Consulate General of Canada in Mumbai is temporarily closed due to the severe flooding affecting the city.

Ebola News

• Democratic Republic of the Congo –  ECDC – Since the previous CDTR and as of 03 July 2019, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 98 additional confirmed cases. During the same period, 66 deaths were reported. Among the new reported cases in the past week, three are healthcare workers. Ariwara Health Zone in Ituri Province reported its first case on 30 June 2019. The case was listed as a close contact of five confirmed cases in Beni, but the individual moved to a relative in Ariwara, where the person was diagnosed. Ariwara is more than 460 kilometers north of Beni and close to the borders of Uganda and South Sudan. So far, there has been no local transmission reported in Uganda. Sixty three contacts are still under follow up as of 2 July 2019, all asymptomatic so far.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – WHO – The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo continued with a steady transmission intensity this week. Indicators demonstrated the early signs of transmission easing in intensity in some major hotspots, such as Butembo and Katwa. The current hotspots are the health zones of Beni, Mabalako, and Mandima, with some cases being exported from these hotspot areas into unaffected health zones. There is a slight but notable increase in the number of new cases occurring in areas that previously had lower rates of transmission, such as the Komanda, Lubero, and Rwampara/ Bunia health zones. In the 21 days from 12 June through 02 July 2019, 73 health areas within 20 health zones reported new cases, representing 11% of the 664 health areas within North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – CDC – There is an outbreak of Ebola in the North Kivu (Kivu Nord) and Ituri provinces in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Travelers to this area could be infected with Ebola if they come into contact with an infected person’s blood or other body fluids. Travelers should seek medical care immediately if they develop fever, headache, body aches, sore throat, diarrhea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes during or after travel. CDC has provided recommendations to ensure workers with potential occupational exposure to Ebola are healthy when they return to the United States.

Please note the revision date (mmddyy) of this report, printed on the title of the post, and go to the direct sources listed for the most up-to-date information.  The information in this report may change without prior notice.