SITREP, February 2025

The Month in Review

America

USA: In 2025, the United States experienced a significant break in its aviation safety record, with four major plane crashes occurring within 12 days, resulting in a total of 85 fatalities. These incidents included a midair collision near Washington, D.C., a medical jet crash in Philadelphia, a commercial flight crash in Alaska, and a runway accident in Arizona. The crashes have prompted investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and raised concerns about aviation safety. However, experts continue to emphasize that air travel remains statistically safer than other forms of transportation.

St. Kitts & Nevis: Authorities in the eastern Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis said on the 30th of January they are investigating the circumstances that led to the discovery of at least 19 bodies found drifting at sea. At around 11:30 a.m. local time on the 29th of January, the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard responded to a report about a drifting vessel off the coast of Nevis. The partially submerged boat contained decomposed human remains.

Chile: The boat named Río Cholhuaco set sail with 32 passengers from Caleta Cóndor, in the Río Negro commune, heading towards Bahía Mansa. The minor ship is investigated to have capsized due to an alleged mechanical failure of the engine. The shipwreck of this tourist boat in the commune of San Juan de la Costa, Los Lagos Region, leaves four people dead and an equal number missing.

Asia

Israel: In February 2025, a total of 9 Israeli hostages have been released or are scheduled for release from Hamas captivity in Gaza. The releases occurred in two groups: one on February 8 and three on February 15, with six additional hostages set to be freed on February 22. These releases are part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement, which has resulted in the freeing of 141 captives since January 19, 2025, including Israelis and foreign nationals.

Syria: Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been named president for the “transitional period,” state media report, seven weeks after he led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad. Rebel military commander Hassan Abdul Ghani also announced the cancellation of Syria’s 2012 constitution and the dissolution of the former regime’s parliament, army, and security agencies, according to the Sana news agency. As president, he said Sharaa would form an interim legislative council to help govern until a new constitution was approved.

India: At least 30 people were killed and many more injured in a stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering early on the 29th of January, police said, as millions of pilgrims rushed to dip in sacred waters during the Maha Kumbh festival in northern India. Police officer Vaibhav Krishna in Prayagraj noted that another 60 injured people were rushed to hospitals. The stampede happened when pilgrims tried to jump barricades erected for a procession of holy men, Uttar Pradesh state’s top elected official said in a televised statement.

Africa

Uganda: Uganda reported an outbreak of the Ebola virus in its capital on the 30th of January, raising concerns the deadly disease might spread through the congested East African city. A 32-year-old male nurse died in Kampala the previous day, and postmortem samples confirmed he had been infected with the Sudan strain of Ebola, an unusual variant for which there are no proven vaccines or cures, said Diana Atwine, permanent secretary at Uganda’s Health Ministry. It is the first recorded death from Ebola in Uganda since the last outbreak two years ago.

DR Congo: In the mineral-rich eastern regions of the country, the M23 rebels have been pushing south since they seized Goma, the largest city in the east of the DRC, in January. The Rwanda-backed rebels seized a second airport in eastern Congo on Friday, the 14th of February, according to security and humanitarian sources. M23 rebels and Rwandan troops took what was seen as the last military obstacle in the area of Kavumu, home to the airport that serves the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu.

Mali: More than 40 people, primarily women, were killed after an illegal gold mine collapsed in Mali on Saturday. The collapse occurred near Kenieba, in Mali’s western, gold-rich Kayes region. The victims had climbed into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to look for scraps of gold when the earth around them caved in, a gold miner’s union leader told Reuters.

Europe

Russia: An explosion rocked an upscale residential block in Moscow early on the 3rd of February, killing two people, including the founder of a battalion that battled Kyiv’s forces in eastern Ukraine, and injuring three others, Russian authorities and news reports said. Footage released showed a building lobby with shattered glass doors and a damaged ceiling. It didn’t say what caused the blast, but the state news agency Tass cited an unidentified law enforcement source as saying a bomb was planted in the building.

Ukraine: Chernobyl nuclear power plant was hit by an attack in the night from the 13th to 14th of February, striking a protective shield over its destroyed fourth reactor, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out the attack, claiming it was a Russian drone equipped with a powerful explosive that struck the facility. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the accusations, calling them a “fabrication” and stating that Russia does not conduct strikes on nuclear infrastructure.

Greece: Schools were closed, and emergency crews deployed on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini on Monday, the 3rd of February, after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake. Precautions were also ordered on several nearby Aegean Sea islands, all popular summer vacation destinations, after more than 200 undersea earthquakes were recorded in the area from the 1st to the 3rd of February. Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said late on the 2nd of February following an emergency government meeting in Athens: “We urge citizens to strictly adhere to safety recommendations to minimize risk.”

Create a travel health kit for your trip.

This kit should include daily medications and prescriptions, emergency medications, and basic first aid supplies. When packing, consider your destination and duration of travel. If you need to take prescription medication, bring the prescription with you. Always keep medication and vitamins in their original packaging. A loose bag of pills might raise suspicion at customs, and proving they’re just vitamins cannot be easy. Before packing painkillers, research the restrictions at your destination. Some countries, especially in the Middle East, have strict regulations on narcotics and even over-the-counter pain relievers. Be aware of local laws to avoid any legal issues during your trip. A typical travel health kit might include travel sickness medication, anti-diarrhea pills, cough suppressants, vitamin C supplements, aloe vera gel for sunburn relief, mild pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, insect repellent, adhesive bandages, and antiseptic wipes. We also recommend carrying a rescue blanket and a pressure dressing or tourniquet for emergencies. But don’t make it too complicated (if you are not the field medic). The items from my travel health kit that are used most are plasters.

Community Q and A

Hotel safes are not 100% secure, but they offer better protection for your valuables than leaving them unsecured in your room. All hotel safes have override methods for staff to access if guests forget codes or if a malfunction occurs. This means dishonest employees could gain access. Many guests use simple, easy-to-guess codes, which increases risk. Some safes use master keys or codes that could be compromised if they fall into the wrong hands. Improperly installed safes might even be removable from the room. To enhance security, use complex codes, consider additional locking devices, and avoid storing large amounts of cash or irreplaceable items. While not perfect, hotel safes still provide a significant deterrent and are generally more secure than leaving valuables out in the open. For more security, consider carrying a portable travel safe that can be secured to a fixed object in the room.

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From the Team

Three episodes of The Safety Huddle in one month. No. 13, with Moritz Schramm, on navigating a crisis and why context decides more than procedure.

A special edition ahead of carnival season: Carsten Dombrowski reporting from Rio de Janeiro on what visitors should watch for.

And No. 14, with Martin Wernet of Schwarzwald Dogs, on data-carrier detection dogs, a field narrower and stranger than it sounds.