News Centre

Bridgetown, Barbados August 21st, 2020 – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has officially been handed over to Barbados, funded by a US$3 million donation from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). On August 19, 2020, the official ceremony took place in conjunction with Department of Emergency Management (DEM). As of August 18, 2020, 24 active cases were on the island thus making the handover timely to the COVID-19 response.

Bridgetown, Barbados August 18th, 2020 (CDEMA) - The French Navy Ship, Dumont d’Urville lends support to the CDEMA Integrated Regional Logistics Hub (IRLH) by transporting medical supplies including PPEs to four of CDEMA’s Participating States. St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis will receive goggles, coveralls and gowns from the Caribbean Development Bank’s donation, which left the Barbados Port Inc on Friday August 14, 2020.

The Ministry of Health, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Emergency Management Agency are pleased to announce the arrival of a shipment of medical supplies donated by the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The shipment contained eighty thousand (80,000) masks, twenty-six thousand two hundred fifty (26,250) IgG Rapid Test Kits, one hundred (100) coveralls, one hundred (100) N-95 masks, and three thousand (3000) gloves.

Bridgetown, Barbados August 14th, 2020 (CDEMA) - On August 14, the United States Government in partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) launched a new USD $4.5 million initiative entitled “Caribbean Climate Resilience Initiative.” This new initiative will help countries reduce disaster risks as well as absorb and recover from hazard impacts and climate variability.

Montserrat, August 7th, 2020 (CDEMA) - Yellow Hill Road, Montserrat - Montserrat has received a shipment of humanitarian supplies to support the island's national response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday, August 7th, 2020 at a handover ceremony at Port Little Bay.

The large consignment of medical devices and supplies was made possible through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)-Coordinated Integrated Regional Logistics Hub (IRLH), the World Health Organization (WHO), Jack Ma and the United Arab Emirates. This timely donation was a result of a commitment made by the WHO, Jack Ma, the Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., and the Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to support the provision of aid supplies to CARICOM.

THE REGIONAL RESPONSE MECHANISM ACTIONS

The CDEMA’s Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) was activated to provide joint coordination of the regional preparedness and response planning operations.

  • The RCC established communications with the Participating States under threat from TS Gonzalo to gain a
    sense of their preparedness.
  • The RCC commenced administrative and logistical arrangements for the possible deployment of teams.
  • Meeting of the Caribbean Development Partners Group (CDPG) were convened and partners received a briefing from the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), CDEMA, CARICOM Institutions present, and the UN Regional Partners.
  • CDEMA refined the regional deployment protocols for a multi-hazard scenario

Georgetown, Guyana August 5, 2020 - Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, last evening, handed over a quantity of essential medical supplies to the Ministry of Health. The items include 5,730 N95 masks, 316,600 surgical masks, 46,250 rapid test COVID-19 kits, 200 overalls and 5,000 gloves.

The supplies were donated to the CDC through a collaborative arrangement with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), Jack Ma Foundation and the United Arab Emirates. Guyana is one of 14 Caribbean territories to receive these supplies.
The hand over was done moments after the supplies arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on a special cargo flight.

NHC Update

According to the National Hurricane Center ( in Miami, Florida, as of 5 00 PM ( on July 30 2020 the center of Tropical Storm Isaias was located near latitude 19 5 North, longitude 70 6 West Isaias is moving toward the northwest near 20 mph 31 km/h) and a northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days.

  1. World Health Organization and Jack Ma Foundation donate PPE to CARICOM States
  2. CDEMA Information Note #2 - Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine as of 8:00PM (AST) on July 29th, 2020
  3. CDEMA Information Note #1 - Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine as of 5:00PM (AST) on July 28th, 2020
  4. CDEMA Information Note #3 - Tropical Cyclone Gonzalo as of 11:00AM (AST) on July 25th, 2020
Back To Top