Global Risk Insights
July 2023
Volcanic activity at Popocatépetl
 
In May 2023, Popocatépetl volcano southeast of Mexico City erupted. The resulting tremors and large quantity of ash resulted in significant disruptions, and at one point the Mexican National Center for the Prevention of Disasters indicated parts of the city might need to be evacuated. 
 
At the time, Iowa State faculty and staff were conducting archaeological research at San Juan Teotihuacán, just outside Mexico City. Fortunately, the eruptions subsided, and smoke and ash began drifting southeast. The map shows potential areas of impact for ISU researchers, potential evacuation zones, and the direction of the ash cloud.
Explosion at Paris American Academy impacts Iowa State students
Abdulmonam Eassa/AFP/Getty Images

On June 21, 2023, an explosion severely damaged buildings in the fifth arrondissement of Paris, France. One of the buildings impacted houses the Paris American Academy, at which a small number of Iowa State students were studying abroad. The explosion injured dozens of people, but Erin French, director of international programs for the College of Human Sciences, quickly confirmed that Iowa State students were not among them. Although the students were unharmed, they had to cut short their academic experience due to the damage at their host institution. We were able to work with On Call International to arrange for the students to return home early under our international travel insurance plan’s catastrophe and trip interruption benefits.
Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act

In spring 2023, the Ugandan Parliament passed, and President Yoweri Museveni signed into law the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, which expands on the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014 to impose even harsher penalties, including death, on LGBTQI+ individuals and those who "promote" homosexuality.
 
The international community has widely condemned the new law. President Joe Biden called for an immediate repeal of the law and directed the National Security Council, "to evaluate the implications of this law on all aspects of U.S. engagement with Uganda including our ability to safely deliver services under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other forms of assistance and investments." UN human rights experts said that “the imposition of the death penalty based on such legislation is per se an arbitrary killing and a breach of article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).”
 
A large number of Iowa State travelers visit Uganda each year, largely in connection with the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL). Risk management has been working closely with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and CSRL administration to ensure travelers are aware of the new law and its implications for them.
Factal news alert service

Risk management subscribes to Factal, a news alert service. While university travelers receive itinerary-based alerts through the international travel registry, the international risk manager and other stakeholders who support international travelers can use Factal to monitor timely, detailed information on important incidents worldwide. Users can set up location-based monitoring or follow individual news topics to get updates on developments.

International risk manager Shaun M. Jamieson has used the tool to monitor developments on disease outbreaks in Africa, protests in France and Israel, and flooding in India.
 
If you support travelers or monitor global news events, you may find Factal useful. If you are interested, please complete the Factal access request form. 
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