In a significant move to bolster disaster preparedness, over 47 disaster management professionals from the Caribbean and beyond have united to establish the region’s inaugural Shelter Technical Working Group. This initiative, launched during the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, is spearheaded by the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The group aims to enhance emergency shelter operations, ensure equitable aid distribution, and foster safer, more inclusive disaster responses for affected populations. Tamara Lovell, a community resilience specialist at CDEMA, emphasized that the group marks the beginning of a dedicated shelter management community for the Caribbean, with plans to develop a core team to advance shelter management strategies. Since its launch, weekly meetings have cultivated a collaborative community poised to address urgent shelter needs. The working group has also introduced a WhatsApp community for real-time updates and peer support, alongside a dedicated website for resource sharing, technical guidance, and news dissemination. Upcoming sessions will focus on critical issues such as relief goods quality, gender-based violence, cash support, and sustainable shelter solutions. The group will also coordinate technical support, organize training, and mobilize relief supplies for rapid deployment during disasters. Key partners, including national disaster offices, local civil society, and NGOs, are actively participating. Emergency items like plastic sheets, toolkits, solar lamps, tents, generators, and hygiene materials have already been stockpiled at CDEMA’s Logistics Hub in Barbados by organizations such as IOM, ShelterBox, GSD, UNICEF, and the Red Cross. Jan-Willem Wegdam, IOM’s emergency coordinator for the Caribbean, urged collective action, stating, ‘Let’s shape this agenda together. Let’s make this a welcoming community where your ideas and energy drive impact—and where we enjoy working together toward a safer Caribbean.’ The working group is supported by IOM under the Resilient Caribbean Project, funded by the European Union and launched virtually earlier this month.
Caribbean launches first-ever shelter working group to boost disaster preparedness
