Bridgetown, Barbados March 13, 2024 – The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s Coordinating Unit (CDEMA CU) is pleased to announce that the Targeted Support to CDEMA Project (TSCP) being implemented with the financial support from Global Affairs Canada has been granted a one year no cost extension until December 31, 2024. The TSCP commenced on March 1, 2019 with CAD $8 million in funding from the Government and people of Canada. The project’s primary goal is the improvement of Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) in the Caribbean Region with a focus on vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls.

The TSCP supports the CDEMA system and its Participating States, in several ways, including strengthening operational readiness for all hazards , strengthening the gender responsiveness of the CDEMA CU programming and supporting community recovery for the most vulnerable through the Caribbean Early Recovery Fund (CERF). The CERF has been crucial in funding projects to support recovery after impact, in Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda.

In response to the granting of the one-year extension, Deputy Executive Director of CDEMA, Lt. Col. Kester Craig thanked Global Affairs Canada for its continued commitment and support saying, “The Targeted Support to CDEMA Project has been instrumental in the execution of CDEMA’s mandate, by strengthening the Regional Response Mechanism and the internal capacity of CDEMA both in human resources and digital transformation efforts. Through the challenges, great strides have been made and will continue with the welcomed project extension.” Lt. Col Craig explained.

Throughout the life of the project, there were challenges to implementation which further reinforced its need and relevance. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 explosive eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines were among the challenges to project delivery, which conversely showed the need to support remote work and recovery efforts of local projects after impact.

Head of Cooperation at Global Affairs Canada, Abebech Assefa acknowledged these challenges in granting the extension stating, “Canada recognizes the unprecedented level of impacts that the region has been experiencing, especially in 2020 and 2021. CDEMA has been called into action for more frequent and longer periods of time and so Canada is happy to approve this extension so that the important initiatives under the TSCP can be completed.”

Thanks to the work of the CDEMA CU’s technical staff, the commitment of the Project Management Unit and the support and flexibility of Global Affairs Canada, the CU has been able to accelerate implementation to realise project results. These achievements have included recruiting and staffing nine (9) technical positions which have enhanced the CU’s capacity, hosting two important Regional Search and Rescue Trainings, high level missions undertaken by the Executive Director which have enabled awareness building about the CDEMA System at the highest level in countries and the RRM and supporting training for National Disaster Office leaders on the GeoCRIS and Geographical Information System in general.

In addition, the project supported the establishment of a temporary Integrated Regional Logistics Hub in 2020 for the COVID-19 response, implemented and established an e-learning platform and supported the build out of the CDEMA’s Records and Information Management System. It has strengthened disaster risk governance in the region by supporting the resuscitation of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Coordination and Harmonisation Council (CDM CHC) and Sector Subcommittees of the CDM CHC particularly Civil Society and Physical and Environmental Planning.

For further information, please contact:

Khrystal Walcott

Communications Consultant

CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (CDEMA)

Suite #3 Building #1 Manor Lodge Complex

Lodge Hill, St. Michael

BARBADOS

Tel #: (246) 240-6743

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