Senior government officials discuss strengthening of Sub Regional Coordination for disaster response
The overall objective of the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Facility Project for the Caribbean is to enhance the human safety level of the populations and to reduce the social, economic and environmental costs of natural disasters in the Caribbean region.
Senior government officials of the Sub-Regional Focal Points (SRFP) under the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) system conferred in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss the strengthening of coordination for disaster response in the eighteen Participating States.
This consultation is part of a broader initiative of the ACP-EU funded Disaster Risks Management Sub-Regional Programme which seeks to build resilience of nations and communities in the Caribbean to hazard impacts. The European Commission (EC) and ACP Secretariat through its joint Natural Disaster Facility are providing CDEMA with €1.8 million over a two year period to aid in building more resilient communities.
This meeting will bring together National Disaster Coordinators and Permanent Secretaries from the four Sub-Regional Focal Points. Discussions will focus on the lessons learnt from the Haiti response, a review of the role and responsibilities of the SRFP and coordination arrangements for the upcoming 2010 Hurricane Season.
The Sub-Regional Focal Points, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are CDEMA’s frontline response to member states after a disaster event. Jamaica spearheaded the regional response to Haiti within 24 hours after the January 12 catastrophic earthquake.
