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 

• North Korean troops are in Russia, US defense secretary says (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday there is evidence that North Korean troops are in Russia but it remained to be seen what they would be doing there.  
• Gangs ‘spreading terror and fear’ across Haiti (UN News) – The UN Security Council on Tuesday heard briefings from top officials on the Haiti crisis and although gangs continue spreading terror and fear there is a “glimmer of hope” that stability can return to the Caribbean island nation in the months ahead, said the UN Special Representative, following years of turmoil, extreme weather disasters and economic meltdown. 
• Gasoline truck overturns and explodes near Uganda’s capital, killing 11 (AP News) – At least 11 people were killed Tuesday after a fuel truck exploded next to a highway in Uganda, police said. Two children were among the dead. The truck overturned after an accident and later exploded in a town just outside Kampala, the capital, police spokesman Patrick Onyango said. 
• Gunmen kill seven with more than a dozen missing after Papua New Guinea bus shooting (The Guardian) – At least seven people were killed and more than a dozen remain missing after gunmen ambushed a public bus and shot passengers in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province. The shooting took place in Enga’s Lagaip district on Tuesday afternoon. More than 20 passengers were on the bus when men armed with high-powered weapons “set up an ambush and fired shots indiscriminately” into the vehicle. 
• Number of women killed in war doubled in 2023 (UN News) – The proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled last year compared to 2022, accounting for 40 per cent of all deaths in war, while UN-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence increased by 50 per cent. 

Demonstrations 

• Bolivia – Social unrest (ERCC) – Since 14 October, road blockades in Bolivia are leading to shortages of fuel, products and soaring prices. While the initial aim of the demonstrations was to prevent the possible arrest of former president Evo Morales, who is under investigation for allegedly abusing a minor during his time in office, his supporters are now protesting against the economic management of the government of President Luis Arce. 

Infrastructure 

• Ukraine: Population drops by 10 million since Russia invaded in 2014 (UN News) – A deepening demographic crisis is roiling Ukraine, exacerbated by Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, said on Tuesday, underscoring an urgent need for comprehensive recovery strategies focused on human capital and socioeconomic reform. 
• British Citizens Heading to France Warned of Delays From November 1 (Schengen News) –  Brits who will be travelling to France have been warned of longer delays from November 1. Starting November 1, 2024, France will reinstate border controls with all its neighbouring countries. Brits travelling by car or coach from Italy, Luxembourg, or Belgium are expected to be more affected by the controls. 

Environment 

• Niger – Floods (ERCC) – Niger continues to experience heavy rainfall and consequent floods brought on by the 2024 rainy season. According to UN OCHA, 395 people have died and nearly 1.5 million people have been affected in 2024. In addition, following the ongoing rains, the authorities postponed the start of the school year from 1 October to 28 October because some schools were still occupied by displaced people.  
• Senegal – Floods (ERCC) – In the last weeks, heavy rainfall has affected northern and eastern Senegal, causing floods and the rising water of the Senegal river, that have resulted in people displacement and damage. According to UN OCHA, as of 22 October, at least 55,600 people have been affected by flooding across 51 villages in north and eastern Senegal, and more than 1,000 ha of crops have been damaged in Tambacounda, Matam, and Saint-Louis regions. 

Health 

• Confirmed mpox clade Ib case in Germany, risk remains low (ECDC) – The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is aware of the recent confirmation of the first mpox clade Ib case in Germany and is monitoring the situation closely. The case was acquired abroad and detected on Friday, 20th October 2024.  
• Israeli strikes delay polio vaccine campaign in the north (UN News) – Intense bombardments, mass displacements and lack of access in northern Gaza have forced the postponement of a polio vaccination campaign, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. 
• Global cholera deaths are surging (CIDRAP) – The number of cholera cases reported in 2024 has declined compared with 2023, but deaths have more than doubled, according to the latest outbreak report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Through September 29, a total of 437,724 cholera cases have been reported across five of the six WHO regions, a 16% drop from the previous year. But the 3,432 reported cholera deaths represent a 126% increase. 

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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