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

• Philippine military says manhunt underway for bombing suspects (Reuters) A “massive” manhunt is underway for the attackers who bombed a Catholic Mass that killed four people in the southern Philippines, a senior military officer said on Monday, vowing to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice.
• Guatemalan electoral magistrates leave the country hours after losing immunity from prosecution (AP News). Three magistrates of Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal left the country early Friday, hours after the Congress opened them up to prosecution by stripping them of their immunity as the losing side in the presidential election continued its efforts to interfere with the results.
• Venezuelans approve a referendum to claim sovereignty over a swathe of neighboring Guyana (AP News). Venezuelans on Sunday approved a referendum called by the government of President Nicolás Maduro to claim sovereignty over an oil- and mineral-rich area of neighboring Guyana it argues was stolen when the border was drawn more than a century ago. It remains unclear how Maduro will enforce the results of the vote. But Guyana considers the referendum a step toward annexation, and the vote has its residents on edge.
• Burkina Faso rights defender abducted as concerns grow over alleged clampdown on dissent (AP). A prominent human rights defender in Burkina Faso has been abducted by unknown individuals, rights groups have announced, in what activists say could be the latest attempt by the military government to target dissidents using a controversial law.
• Israel wants ‘security envelope’, no Hamas on border after war (Reuters). Israel will seek a “security envelope” with special zones and arrangements that will prevent Hamas from being positioned on its border after the war in Gaza is over, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. Israel’s military says it has expanded its ground offensive in Gaza and is now targeting Hamas strongholds in the south (NPR). Many Palestinians told to flee northern Gaza to the south are now facing demands to flee the areas they evacuated into.
• Houthi missiles strike commercial ships in Red Sea, while U.S. warship downs drones (NPR). Three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen on Sunday and a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during the hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran.
• Russia Declares Gay Rights Movement as ‘Extremist’ (NYT). Activists said the designation could put L.G.B.T.Q. people and their organizations under threat of criminal prosecution for something as simple as displaying the rainbow flag.

Demonstrations

• Protesters shove their way into congress of Mexican border state of Nuevo Leon, toss smoke bomb (AP News). The legislature of Mexico’s northern border state of Nuevo Leon said Thursday protesters broke through doors, took over the floor of the state congress and launched a smoke bomb.

Environment

• Indonesia – Volcanic eruption (ERCC). On 3 December, Mount Marapi located in West Sumatra, increased its volcanic activity with volcanic ash emission and volcanic rocks. The ash column was observed 3,000 m above the peak. At least 11 people died, nine have been injured, 28 are still missing and a total of 75 people have been affected. Eleven climbers were found dead (Reuters) in Indonesia following the eruption of the Marapi volcano in West Sumatra, a rescue official said, as a search to find 12 more missing was temporarily halted over safety concerns.
• Malaysia – Floods (ERCC). Heavy rainfall has been affecting the Peninsular Malaysia, in particular the north-eastern State of Kelantan since 3 December, causing floods that have resulted in evacuations and damage.
• Philippines – Earthquake, update. (ERCC). After the recent 7.6 M earthquake, that occurred on 2 December in Hinatuan Municipality in Surigao Del Sur Province, southern Mindanao, the number of casualties and damage is increasing. Several aftershocks have been registered in the area since the main event.
• Tanzania – Landslides and floods (ERCC). Heavy rainfall has been affecting northern Tanzania, in particular the Manyara Region since 2 December, causing severe floods and triggering several landslides that have resulted in casualties and widespread damage.
• Ghana – Dam emergency and floods (ERCC). Heavy rain have been affecting south-eastern Ghana since 27 November, causing the overflow of the Dawhenya irrigation dam and floods that resulted in displacement and damage.
• Indonesia – Severe weather (ERCC). Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been affecting central Indonesia, in particular the Java Island and the neighbouring southern Sumatra Island over the weekend, causing floods, rivers overflow, landslides and a number of strong wind-related incidents that have resulted in evacuations and damage.

Health

• The Cambodian Ministry of Health reported two new human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) infection (ECDC), including one death. Both are from the same village in Kampot province and both had contact with dead backyard poultry. To date, no human-to-human transmission was reported associated with this event.
• Since the last update, and as of 29 November 2023, ten human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infection have been reported by EU/EEA countries (ECDC), and no cases were reported by any EU-neighbouring country. Since the beginning of the 2023 transmission season, 707 human cases of WNV infection have been reported by EU/EEA countries, and 93 by EU-neighbouring countries
• Yemen – Cholera outbreak (ERCC). Over the past five weeks, a cholera outbreak has rapidly spread to six governorates in the South and East of Yemen as well as in two governorates in the North. Between 16 October and 26 November, 917 suspected cases and eight associated deaths have been reported. This represents 29% of the total 3,111 suspected cases and 66% of the total 12 deaths reported for 2023. Migrants allegedly constitute about 80% of those cases.

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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