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 

• American academic arrested in Thailand charged with insulting monarchy (Reuters) – An American academic was arrested in Thailand on Tuesday charged with insulting the monarchy, in a rare prosecution of a foreigner under one of the world’s strictest lese-majeste laws. 
• At least 35 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza residential block (Al Jaazera) – At least 35 people have been killed and dozens of others were wounded in an Israeli attack on a residential block in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood, medical sources told Al Jazeera. 

Infrastructure 

• Roof collapse at Dominican club kills at least 124 as officials scramble to identify victims (AP News) – A crowd of people grew increasingly agitated Wednesday as they waited at the Dominican Republic’s forensic institute for news of their loved ones still missing a day after a roof collapsed at an iconic nightclub, killing at least 124 people and injuring hundreds more. 
• Algeria and Mali ban flights amid diplomatic crisis (Reuters) – Algeria and Mali banned flights to and from each other’s airspace, their governments said on Monday, amid an escalating diplomatic crisis. 

Demonstrations 

• Flights and ferries halted in Greece as unions call general strike (AP News) – A nationwide general strike in Greece disrupted public services across the country Wednesday, with ferries tied up in port, flights grounded and public transportation running only part time as labor unions press for an end to lingering austerity measures imposed on Greece by international creditors a decade ago. Thousands of protesters marched through the center of Athens in two separate demonstrations that ended peacefully. 

Environment 

• Namibia – Floods (ERCC) – As of 8 April, 16 people have drowned since 1 March, and three households needed to be evacuated in the Engela constituency, Ohangwena region. Rural areas have been cut off from essential services and schools have closed, which has resulted in 8,500 students being unable to attend school. 

Health 

• Kenya – Cholera outbreak (ERCC) – As of 6 April, 97 confirmed cases had been recorded, more than double the 43 cases reported by WHO on 20 March. Six deaths have been confirmed, resulting in a concerning case fatality rate (CFR) of 6.2%. The outbreak is being driven by limited access to safe water, poor hygiene, and inadequate sanitation—conditions particularly acute in Nairobi’s informal settlements. These factors pose significant risks for further spread, especially during the current rainy season. 
• Stay Alert for Measles Cases (CDC). Measles can be severe. Since January 1, 2025, 12% of reported measles cases in the United States have been hospitalized. There have been 2 confirmed deaths from measles, and 1 death under investigation. Between January 1 and April 4, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been notified of 607 confirmed U.S. cases of measles, with the largest outbreak in Texas and New Mexico accounting for more than 90% of cases. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination is the best way to protect against measles and its complications. 

Humanitarian 

• Fear and uncertainty are daily staples for Gaza’s most vulnerable (UN News) – In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships being faced by those about to give birth in the devastated enclave. That’s the message from the UN World Health Organization, WHO, which said on Wednesday that mothers are going into labor amid dire conditions, putting their health and their babies’ lives at risk. It is now five weeks since Israeli authorities stopped all commercial and humanitarian relief supplies from reaching Gaza. 
• US cuts to HIV programs in Africa threaten to set progress back to ‘dark ages,’ experts say (CIDRAP) – The reduction or elimination of funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) could lead to the deaths of nearly 500,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa from AIDS-related causes in the next 5 years, according to an expert policy analysis published today in The Lancet. 

Migration 

• Sudan war: UNHCR chief stresses need to help refugee hosts in Chad (UN News) – As the brutal war in Sudan nears the two-year mark, thousands of people continue to flee into neighboring countries, including Chad. Chad hosts 1.3 million forcibly displaced people, according to the UN agency, UNHCR despite it being one of the world’s poorest countries. More than half of these vulnerable individuals are Sudanese who’ve fled the fighting between rival militaries which erupted in April 2023. 

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

---