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 bomb blast at a religious school in northern Afghanistan killed at least fifteen people (TOLOnews), a local doctor said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
• Saudi Arabia authorities executed twenty men for drug convictions this month (WaPo), resuming the death penalty for drug crimes after a two-year pause.
• Ethiopia Peace Process Undermined as Eritrean Forces Continue Attacking Civilians (Bloomberg). Efforts to restore peace in Ethiopia after two years of fighting between government and rebel forces are being undermined by Eritrea, whose troops continue to attack civilians across its southern border, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
• China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi (AP News). The statement from the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission released late Tuesday comes amid a massive show of force by security services to deter a recurrence of the protests that broke out over the weekend in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and several other cities. China to punish internet users for ‘liking’ posts in crackdown after zero-Covid protests (CNN Business). Internet users in China will soon be held liable for liking posts deemed illegal or harmful, sparking fears that the world’s second largest economy plans to control social media like never before.
• Suicide Blast Hits Pakistan Police Truck on Way to Protect Polio Workers (VOA News). A suicide bombing of a police truck in southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday killed at least four people and injured 24 others, mostly police officers.
• Police in Ecuador have arrested seven gunmen who stormed a hospital in an attempt to kill a teen being treated there (BBC). Gang members took nurses hostage and exchanged fire with police before they were detained.
• An explosion occurred at Ukraine’s embassy in Madrid, injuring one employee who was handling a letter, the Spanish Interior Ministry said Wednesday (CNN). Ukraine has ramped up security at all of its embassies in response.

Natural Disasters

• The number of casualties has increased across the West Java Province (Indonesia) due to the 5.6M earthquake at a depth of 10 km that occurred on 21 November at 6.21 UTC in Cianjur Regency (ERCC). As of Nov 29 Indonesia has reported 327 fatalities, 13 people still missing, 68 injured people currently hospitalised in Cianjur Town regional hospital and a total of approximately 108,700 evacuated people across several evacuation points.
• On 27 November, the Mauna Loa volcano (Hawaiian Islands, USA), started erupting lava flows from the summit region of the volcano and migrated over the Northeast Rift Zone on 28-29 November (ERCC). Precautionary evacuations are in effect, two shelters have been opened with 56 occupants but currently, no property is at risk. There are no flight restrictions but the aviation colour code is red.
• The Cotopaxi volcano activity continues as of Nov 29 (ERCC). The volcano is located close to Latacunga city in Cotopaxi province (central Ecuador) about 50 km south of Quito.

Health

• In the wake of brisk rainfall since June, Bangladesh is experiencing a large dengue outbreak that is unusual in its scale and seasonality, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in an outbreak notice (CIDRAP). The group added that high temperatures and high humidity, alongside the heavy rainfall, have increased mosquito populations throughout Bangladesh, where dengue is endemic.
• Health officials have warned of a perfect storm of infectious respiratory diseases in the UK this winter (WEForum). There is a triple threat of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 all striking at once, which some have called a ‘tripledemic’. Although we don’t have a vaccine for RSV, COVID and flu vaccines are an important tool to prevent severe illness this winter, say experts.

Gatherings

• LGBTQ community can visit Qatar, but don’t try to change us – minister (Reuters). Members of the LGBTQ community can go to the World Cup in Qatar, which goes from Nov 21 to Dec 18, but the West cannot “dictate” to Qataris what they should believe, Qatar’s energy minister told Germany’s Bild newspaper.

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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