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

• A fresh round of Russian drone strikes today targeted Ukraine’s capital (NBC), Kyiv, the cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv, and the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy, Ukrainian officials said.
• Ethiopia war: Tigray says ready for ceasefire as fighting rages (The Citizen). International concern is growing around the fate of Shire, a city of 100,000 people in northwest Tigray, where Ethiopian and Eritrean troops have launched a joint offensive and civilian casualties have been reported.
• U.S. backs sending international forces to Haiti, draft proposal says (Washington Post). The United States has drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution encouraging “the immediate deployment of a multinational rapid action force” to Haiti in response to the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation there.
• More than 140 people have been killed in horrific intercommunal violence in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is alarmed by a surge of deadly intercommunal violence which has displaced thousands since July in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s western locality of Kwamouth.
• The threat of terrorism and organised crime is becoming increasingly entrenched across Africa, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime told the Security Council on Thursday, warning that illegal trafficking is depriving millions of a decent livelihood. The vast Sahel region in particular has become home to some of the most active and deadly terrorist groups.
• A group of UN independent human rights experts expressed alarm over restrictions in Egypt ahead of the COP27 summit. “Arrests and detention, NGO asset freezes and dissolutions and travel restrictions against human rights defenders have created a climate of fear for Egyptian civil society organizations to engage visibly at the COP27,” the experts said.

Demonstrations

• France braces for nationwide strike amid fuel shortage tensions (AFP on MSN.com). France on Monday braced for nationwide transport strike actions as the government and unions remained in deadlock over stoppages at oil depots that have sparked fuel shortages.

Natural Disasters

• Drought and floods leave Chad herders without food, milk (Reuters on MSN.com). A prolonged drought in the vast Central African country was followed by the heaviest rainy season in over 30 years this year, leaving large areas, including parts of the capital N’Djamena, navigable only by boat. Thousands have fled their homes.
• Over 600 killed in catastrophic flooding in Nigeria (dw on MSN.com). One of the worst floods in recent history in Nigeria has killed more than 600 people, and destroyed more than 82,000 homes. Farmlands have been submerged, adding to concerns about food security.
• Tropical Storm KARL passed along the coast of south-eastern Mexico on 15-16 October (ERCC), causing very heavy rainfall and triggering floods and landslides that have resulted in casualties and damage. The most affected States are: Tabasco, Veracruz, Chiapas and Oaxaca.
• Since 12 October, heavy rainfall, lightning, and strong winds have been in Sri Lanka (ERCC), resulting in floods and landslides and leading to casualties.

Ebola

• Nine African Nations Join WHO’s Push to Halt Ebola in Uganda (Bloomberg) Nine African countries will join the World Health Organization in efforts to curb the spread of Ebola in Uganda and boost the level of preparedness in the region. The WHO has been pushing for a rapid response because of the nature of the hemorrhagic disease and as regional trade and cultural connections mean movement between Uganda and its neighbors is extensive. The East African nation also “hosts many refugees who continue to keep ties with their countries of origin,” the agency said in statement on Wednesday.
• Ugandan authorities announced a three-week lockdown (BBC) in two districts to battle an Ebola outbreak. 

Monkeypox

• Researchers find monkeypox virus on hospital surfaces, in air (CIDRAP) A new study from the United Kingdom shows widespread monkeypox DNA surface contamination in healthcare settings, with 93% of surfaces in occupied patient rooms contaminated, and significant contamination on healthcare worker personal protective equipment (PPE). The researchers were also able to isolate infectious virus from two samples, including an air sample.

COVID-19

• UK study ties COVID-19 symptoms to worse mental health (CIDRAP). An analysis of 11 longitudinal UK studies published today in The Lancet Psychiatry links symptomatic COVID-19 to psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and lower life satisfaction that didn’t abate by 3 months.
• Biden administration extends COVID-19 public health emergency declaration (The Hill) The Biden administration on Thursday extended the nation’s COVID-19 public health emergency for the next 90 days as officials brace for a potential surge of infections over the winter.
• Europe likely entering another COVID wave, says WHO and ECDC (Reuters) Another wave of COVID-19 infections may have begun in Europe as cases begin to tick up across the region, the World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Wednesday. “We are unfortunately seeing indicators rising again in Europe, suggesting that another wave of infections has begun.”

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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