In a landmark move to bolster disaster preparedness and response across the Caribbean, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) have solidified their collaboration through a formal agreement. The signing ceremony took place on September 2, 2025, at CDEMA’s headquarters in Bridgetown, Barbados, with CDF’s Chief Executive Officer, Rodinald Soomer, and CDEMA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, in attendance. The agreement involves a $300,000 grant from the CDF’s Emergency Disaster Assistance Facility, aimed at strengthening CDEMA’s Regional Response Mechanism (RRM). This funding will support the deployment, coordination, and operational needs of response teams across 12 Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Soomer highlighted the CDF’s dedication to fostering resilience in the region, emphasizing the importance of rapid and effective crisis response. Ms. Riley echoed this sentiment, describing the partnership as a testament to regional solidarity and shared responsibility. The funds will be exclusively allocated to disaster response operations, covering humanitarian aid, logistics, telecommunications, and rapid needs assessments. This initiative comes at a critical time as the Caribbean braces for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, underscoring the urgency of enhanced preparedness and resource availability.
CDEMA and CARICOM Development Fund sign agreement to strengthen the Regional Response Mechanism
