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 

• Death toll in Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 77 since ceasefire deal (Reuters) – Israel airstrikes killed at least 77 people in Gaza overnight on Thursday, residents and authorities in the enclave said, hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced to bring an end to 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas. The complex ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. to stop the war that has devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East. 
• 5 killed in Mexican town caught between battling criminal groups (AP News) – On Monday afternoon, just like every afternoon in recent weeks, four men and one woman from one of the groups competing in the local elections to manage the communal lands and forest were walking door to door campaigning. They were intercepted by gunmen in two vehicles and left dead on Huitzilac’s main street. 
• At least two killed in Slovak school attack, emergency services say (Reuters) – The 18-year old student suspected of committing a serious act in Spisska Stara Ves was detained a very short time after the incident,” the police said. Several emergency medical crews were at the scene but the number of injured was not yet known, broadcaster TA3 reported. Thanks to the quick detention of the suspect, there is at present no immediate danger and police are taking further necessary measures to secure safety 
• South Africa mine rescue ends, anger rises over 78 deaths in police siege (Reuters) – South African rescuers ended their attempts on Thursday to find anyone left in an illegal gold mine where at least 78 people died during a police siege, as a local volunteer described the horror of extracting their bodies from deep underground. Police had encircled the mine since August and cut off food and water supplies to try to force the miners out so they could be arrested, resulting in what the GIWASU labour union called the worst state-sponsored massacre since the end of apartheid. 
• Islamic State-linked rebels kill at least 10 people in eastern Congo (AP) – At least 10 people were killed in eastern Congo by extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group, a local official said Wednesday. 
• South Sudan imposes curfew after Sudan killings trigger riots (Reuters) – South Sudan’s police imposed a nationwide curfew starting at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Friday after a night of rioting in the capital over the alleged killing of South Sudanese people by the army and allied groups in neighbouring Sudan. 

Demonstrations 

• Workers participating in opposition called general strike assaulted on the streets of Tbilisi (EURO News) – Footage circulating on social media showed baton-wielding individuals attacking people on the streets who were participating in the strike. Protesters from various companies participating in the nationwide strikes were physically and verbally assaulted according to local media. 

Environment 

• Rescuers evacuate 3,000 residents near Indonesia’s Mt Ibu after eruption (Reuters) – Authorities have begun evacuating 3,000 residents near the Mount Ibu volcano on Indonesia’s eastern island of Halmahera, the disaster agency said on Thursday, after an eruption this week sent a cloud of thick grey ash as high as four-km (2.5-mile) into the sky. Ibu erupted on Wednesday morning for about two minutes, Indonesia’s volcanology agency said, forcing authorities to raise the alert level in the surrounding areas to the most severe. 
• Indonesia – Volcanic eruption (ERCC) – The Ibu volcano, located in west Halmahera Island, in North Maluku province, eastern Indonesia, erupted on 15 January at 00:11 UTC.  Volcanic ash was reported, and the column reached 4,000 m above the summit of the crater. As of 16 January, at least 3,000 people have been evacuated around the area to several temporary evacuation centers. 
• Iceland – Seismic activity (ERCC) – A strong seismic swarm is occurring in the northwestern part of the Bardarbunga caldera, central Iceland.  On 13-14 January, more than 100 earthquakes were recorded with the highest one of 5.1 M. Moreover, 17 other earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 M or higher were registered, including at least two of 4 M or above. The earthquake activity was intense until 9.00 UTC on 14 January, after that it began to decrease but earthquakes have still been detected in the area. 
• Australia – Severe weather (ERCC) – Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and hail have affected eastern Australia on 15 January, severe weather-related incidents that have resulted in casualties and damage. As of 16 January, one person died in the Central West region of New South Wales state, and at least four people have been injured in Riverina region in south-western New South Wales. In addition, power outages have affected more than 200,000 houses, and flight cancellations and delays have also been reported at Sydney city Airport. 
• Hundreds of homes evacuated as Patagonia fires grow in Argentina (France24)– Strong winds and high temperatures fed a blaze that tore through grassland and forest near the remote village of Epuyen, reducing areas of pristine wilderness to a smoldering ruin. 

Health 

• How are ‘heat domes’ hurting our health? (GAVI). Climate change is leading to the formation of vast heat domes, intensifying air pollution and harming health. Lower-income countries are bearing the brunt of this phenomenon. 

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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