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

• South Sudan – Attack on civilians and peacekeepers (ERCC). On Saturday 27 January, intercommunal violence took place in several locations in Abyei, disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, with 17 civilian deaths and 83 casualties with gunshot wounds preliminary reported as well as the death of a United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA) peacekeeper from Ghana. Civilians fled to UNISFA bases to seek for safety.
• Myanmar – Mass displacement (ERCC). Intense fighting between the Myanmar military and opposition forces in Hsi Hseng Township of southern Shan State in Myanmar since 20 January has led to the displacement of some 100,000 civilians in just a few days, representing two thirds of the Township’s population.
• Haiti crises have reached ‘a critical point’ (UN News). More than 8,400 people were victims of gang violence in Haiti last year, including killings, injuries and kidnappings – a 122 per cent increase over 2022, the UN Special Representative for the country told the UN Security Council on Thursday. Regional dynamics are also important as the deepening crisis in Haiti is not occurring in a vacuum, she added, noting that illicit firearms are a growing concern across the Caribbean, “feeding gang-related activity and drug trafficking in a vicious circle”.  The Kenyan High Court (BBC) has blocked the government from deploying police officers to fight gangs in Haiti. Last year, Kenya had volunteered to lead a multinational security force in Haiti to quell gang violence.
• Biden says US ‘shall respond’ after drone strike by Iran-backed group kills 3 US troops in Jordan (AP). President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. “shall respond” after three American troops were killed and dozens more were injured in an overnight drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. The strike was a major escalation in the ongoing war and comes at a time when U.S. and other foreign envoys are trying to reach a deal (The Guardian) for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and for Hamas to release the hostages it is holding.
• Masked assailants launch deadly attack on Italian church in Istanbul (Reuters). Two assailants launched an armed attack on an Italian church in Istanbul during a religious ceremony on Sunday, leaving one person dead, Turkey’s interior minister said.

Demonstrations

• ‘Our farming system is sick’: Mona Lisa soup stunt to be followed by farmers protests in Paris (Euronews). Thousands of police have been deployed to guard a fresh food market and airports in the French capital. Thousands of police will be deployed in Paris today as angry farmers threaten to head toward the French capital.
• Pakistani police use tear gas to disperse pre-election rally by supporters of former leader Khan (AP News). Pakistani police fired tear gas to disperse supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the southern city of Karachi on Sunday.
• Kenyan women march against femicide (Deutsche Welle). Thousands of people in Kenya took to the streets on Saturday across the country to decry the recent murders of more than a dozen women.
• Germans hold anti-right rallies on Holocaust Remembrance day (Deutsche Welle). Several states saw hundreds of thousands of protesters return to the streets against far-right extremism. Saturday’s protests coincided with the observance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Environment

• Colombia – Wildfires (ERCC). Since early January several wildfires have been burning in central and north-eastern Colombia, bordering with Venezuela. UN OCHA reports 449 wildfires, 232 affected municipalities and a total burn area of 17,782 ha since the beginning of January.
• Peru – Severe weather, floods and landslides (ERCC). Heavy rainfall is affecting Cusco and San Martìn Departments since 25 January, causing landslides and floods that have resulted in damage.
• Philippines – Heavy rainfall and strong winds (ERCC). The number of affected people is still increasing in Mindanao Island, southern Philippines, following the heavy rainfall and strong winds brought by the effects of the Shear Line since 15 January.
• South Africa – Wildfire (ERCC). A wildfire is burning across the Table Mountain area, south of Cape Town City resulting in evacuations.
• Indonesia – Floods and strong winds (ERCC). Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been affecting parts of Sumatra and Java Islands, causing floods and resulting in widespread damage. 

Health

• Cholera – Multi-country (World) – Monitoring global outbreaks (ECDC). In December 2023, 50 540 new cholera cases, including 483 new deaths, have been reported worldwide. New cases have been reported from Afghanistan, Dominican Republic, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The risk of cholera infection in travellers visiting these countries remains low.
• Chikungunya and dengue – Multi-country (World) – Monitoring global outbreaks (ECDC). In 2023, approximately 500 000 chikungunya virus disease (CHIKVD) cases and over 400 deaths were reported worldwide. A total of 26 countries reported CHIKVD cases from the Americas (16), Africa (5) and Asia (5). In 2023 and until the beginning of December, over six million cases and over 6 000 dengue-related deaths had been reported globally.
• Increase in number of Zika cases in Thailand in 2023 (ECDC). Following media reports of an increased incidence of Zika virus infections in Thailand in 2023, an EpiPulse inquiry was launched to assess the potential increase in Zika cases imported from Thailand in 2023. The detection of a relatively high number of imported cases within the last few months probably signals ongoing transmission of Zika virus in Thailand.

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.

---

Tags

---

Related Posts

---