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 

• Israeli strike south of Beirut kills commander in Sunni Islamist group (Reuters) – An Israeli drone strike south of the Lebanese capital killed a top commander from militant group Jama’a Islamiya on Tuesday, the group said, in an attack later confirmed by Israel. The Israeli military announced that it had killed Hussein Atawi, a “key figure in the Jama’a Islamiya with ties to Hamas,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday. 
• Nine-year-old dies as Australia weekend drowning toll rises to seven (BBC) – A nine-year-old boy who got trapped between rocks at a New South Wales beach on Sunday has become the seventh person to drown in Australia over the Easter weekend. The majority of deaths were caused by strong swells washing people into the ocean from rocks. Two people remain missing. 
• Israel steps up Gaza strikes; polio vaccination halted by blockade (Reuters) – The Israeli military launched one of the biggest waves of strikes in Gaza for weeks on Tuesday, residents said, and health officials issued a new warning that healthcare faced total collapse from Israel’s blockade of all supplies. Gaza’s health ministry said a U.N.-backed polio vaccination campaign meant to target over 600,000 children had been suspended, putting the enclave at risk of the revival of a crippling disease that once had been all-but eradicated. 
• Sudan’s paramilitaries kill more than 30 in a new attack on a Darfur city, activists say (AP) – A paramilitary group in Sudan attacked a city in the western Darfur region, killing more than 30 people, an activist group said, in the latest deadly offensive on an area that is home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. 
• Haiti nearing ‘point of no return’ amid gang violence, UN representative warns (The Guardian) – Haiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a “point of no return” leading to “total chaos”, the UN special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation has warned. 
• At least 12 killed in an attack in Ecuador’s Manabi province (Reuters) – The attack took place overnight at a cockfighting ring, a venue where people gather to watch rooster fights. 

Environment 

• Ecuador – Floods and landslides (ERCC) – Ecuador continues to experience heavy rainfall associated with the ongoing rainy season. Nearly 1,200 landslides and 1,085 flood events have been recorded, resulting in fatalities, widespread destruction, and damage. As of 20 April and since 1 January, 44 people have died, approximately 166,000 individuals have been affected, and over 53,800 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. 
• Indonesia – Floods (ERCC) – Over the past few days, more than 1,000 people have been affected and 339 houses flooded in Tamansari Village (Banten Province, western Java). In Bukit Subur Village (East Kalimantan Province), over 450 people have been affected and 141 houses damaged, also due to flooding. 
• Thailand – Severe weather (ERCC) – As of 21 April, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) reports three injuried people and 8,200 people affected. Additionally, 1,700 houses were damaged. 
• India – Severe weather (ERCC) – As of 21 April, media reports indicate that at least five people were killed, one was injured, and more than 100 people were rescued. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed, roads were closed, and power outages occurred, with rescue operations still ongoing as of 21 April. 
• Democratic Republic of the Congo – Severe weather (ERCC) – On 18 April, heavy rain and lightning affected the city of Kisangani, Tshopo province, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, causing death and injuries. As of 18 April, media reports stated that five people were killed and seven were seriously injured due to lightning. 

Health 

• Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis (CIDRAP) – Health officials in Vietnam have reported a severe H5N1 avian flu infection in an 8-year-old girl who is experiencing encephalitis symptoms, which appears to mark the country’s first human case of 2025. The girl is from Tay Ninh province, located in southern Vietnam between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, according to an April 18 statement from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health that was translated and posted by FluTrackers, an infectious disease new message board. 
• Three more states report first measles cases of the year (CIDRAP) – Louisiana, Missouri, and Virginia all reported cases that have links to international travel. Learn more about how to protect yourself against Measels (CDC). 

Humanitarian 

• Hunger stalks Ethiopia as UN aid agency halts support amid funding cuts (UN News) – Funding and supply shortfalls for the UN World Food Programme’s relief work in Ethiopia will halt lifesaving treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children at the end of the month. “We are at the breaking point,” the agency said on Tuesday. In total, 3.6 million “most vulnerable” people in Ethiopia stand to lose WFP food and nutrition assistance unless funding arrives urgently, warned Zlatan Milisic, the UN agency’s Country Director. 

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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