Situation Update

• On 02 November 2021, the U.S. Department of State declared a “Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory” for Ethiopia, restricting U.S. Embassy personnel from traveling outside of Addis Ababa and advising all U.S. citizens in Ethiopia to leave the country.
  
  
• The advisory comes after rebel groups – the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) – seized two strategically important towns 235 miles north of the capital along Ethiopia’s north-south A2 highway, effectively splitting the country in two. Armed conflict and civil unrest continue in Amhara, Afar, and Tigray.
  
  
• The Ethiopian central government declared a six-month state of emergency and authorities in Addis Ababa and the state of Amhara have also called on residents to register any weapons and prepare to fight. The state of emergency gives the government wide legal power to arrest anyone suspected of providing financial, material, or moral support to the rebel group. Reports of the arrests of ethnic Tigray in Addis have circulated over the past several days.
  
  
• Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (HAAB/ADD) is still fully operational; however, it is unclear if ADD will remain open to commercial flights should conflict reach the outskirts of the city. Flights are reported to be fully booked, as diplomats, expatriates, government officials, and Ethiopian citizens flee Addis.

Leading Duty of Care Company Will Support NASA Travelers With Global Medical Evacuation Services for Johnson Space Center

(McLean, VA) October 28, 2021 – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has appointed Global Guardian as its chosen International Medical Evacuation Services provider for Johnson Space Center (JSC)—the center of human space exploration—effective October 1, 2021 until September 30, 2023. Global Guardian, a veteran-owned, global security and duty of care provider, signed a contract worth $470,000 to provide NASA employees with medical support and evacuation services anywhere in the world.

Latest DEVELOPMENTS

• The United States will lift international travel restrictions on 08 November for fully vaccinated individuals. Those vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be accepted. In addition, the U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will re-open to fully vaccinated leisure travelers. A negative test will still be required for international air arrivals.

• Australia is expected to lift restrictions on international travel in November, several months earlier than anticipated, due to high vaccination rates inside the country. At least 58 percent of the country has been fully vaccinated, just ahead of the United States.

• Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have all steadily declined in the U.S. Hotspots are now focused in the upper Midwest where earlier cool temperatures have led to more indoor activity. 

Situation Update

On 16 October, assailants in Port-au-Prince, Haiti kidnapped 17 members of an Ohio-based Anabaptist Christian aid group, including five children. The victims include 16 Americans and one Canadian. Local police suspect the involvement of the 400 Mawozo gang, who also kidnapped five priests and two nuns earlier this year.

Situation update

At approximately 1100 local time, sniper fire was reported against members and supporters of Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah and the Amal Movement near the Palace of Justice in the Tayouneh area of Beirut, southeast of the city center.

CASE STUDY: GLOBAL GUARDIAN EVACUATES A CLIENT FROM INDIA TO THE US DURING A GLOBAL LOCKDOWN

Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner credits in-country partners with the success of Global Guardian’s efforts in India: “An on-the-ground presence is critical to be able to successfully go the last mile when it comes to saving lives and serving clients. If you try to do this from outside the country, you are guaranteed to fail.” 

In the October edition of ITIJ's Assistance and Repatriation Review, Global Guardian describes the execution of a 24-hour, seven-stop emergency evacuation of a COVID-19-positive client from India back to the US for treatment, all while navigating an international travel lockdown.

EVACUATING EMPLOYEES FROM POLITICAL UNREST

"Ultimately, protecting employees and the business’s interests during these dire situations requires risk professionals to do the work before a crisis happens. 'If you can communicate now, you can organize now,' Buckner said."

In a Risk Management Magazine article, Global Guardian President and CEO Dale Buckner stresses the steps corporations should take to be prepared to protect and evacuate their employees in any crisis, including regular desktop exercises running emergency scenarios, like what unfolded in Afghanistan this year, and reviewing contingency plans, insurance coverage, and vendors.

COUNTERTERRORISM IN THE PAST AND PRESENT: Q&A WITH KEY PLAYERS

"A person, whether an HVE or a DVE, who has a grievance, feels disenfranchised, and is looking for something—they can find like-minded individuals on the internet....You can pick and choose from what’s out there to support your particular ideology and yet never have to leave your computer to communicate, plan, and target individuals."

In the Special 9/11 Edition of the IACP Police Chief Magazine, the FBI National Security Branch conducted interviews of FBI leaders, special agents, and other law enforcement partners who played key roles in the evolving counterterrorism mission before, during, and after 9/11, including Global Guardian Vice President of Global Risk Services Mike McGarrity. In this feature, McGarrity—former assistant director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division—discusses the evolution of terrorist threats, in particular how the internet and social media play a role and the challenges they create.

THREAT REPORT

On Saturday, 18 September, 2021, upwards of 700 people will return to the U.S. Capitol to rally in support of defendants charged in connection with the January 6 storming of the Capitol building following the pro-Trump "Stop the Steal" rally. The demonstration is planned for noon at Union Square, which encompasses the U.S. Capitol. Multiple road closures will be in effect.

Latest DEVELOPMENTS

• The European Union removed the United States from its "Safe List", causing several European nations to alter their entry restrictions on American travelers. For example, Spain now requires unvaccinated Americans to provide proof of a negative test, while Switzerland removed the U.S. from its own list of approved traveler countries. 
• Pfizer expects to report data needed for vaccine approval in five to 11-year-olds later in September and could potentially submit an application for emergency use shortly after. It said data for kids aged two to under five could arrive soon after. For children between six months and two years, Pfizer has said it could have safety and immunogenicity data as early as October or November. It is likely all children in the U.S. 6mo and older will be able to receive Pfizer's vaccine by the start of 2022.
• Hospitalizations in the U.S. appear to be flattening as the Delta variant wave looks to have peaked in much of the South. Hotspots are now in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Daily deaths now average nearly 2,000/day and will likely peak in the next 10-14 days.