The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) Inc., DHL, and the European Union, successfully completed the first-ever ‘Get Airports Ready for Disasters’ (GARD) Workshop in the Eastern Caribbean. The workshops was held at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. The initiative marks a significant step in strengthening regional disaster preparedness ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.

This crucial three-day workshop brought together 22 participants, including airport authorities, national disaster management agencies, security forces, regional airlines, and disaster response agencies from Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“Airports are critical in emergencies. They often are the epicentre for coordinating supply chain elements of a response,” noted Brian Bogart, Representative and Country Director for the World Food Programme Caribbean. “At WFP, we continue to explore additional options to support maximizing the region’s capacity and infrastructure for crisis response.”

Frank Losada, DHL Go Help Leader USA & Caribbean and one of the lead trainers for the workshop, emphasized the training’s importance for the hurricane-prone Caribbean region. “When there is a disaster, like a hurricane or a tsunami, the airport usually becomes a chokepoint,” Losada explained. “It is critical that airports are ready to receive that cargo and ensure aid gets to people in need as fast as possible.”

“This is very integral to national safety and national development. Disaster management and preparedness is nothing to be taken lightly in any form,” Bourne stated.

Speaking on behalf of CDEMA, Kevon Campbell highlighted the indispensable role of partnerships in supporting communities during crises. “We have seen time and again how disasters, pandemics, and other emergencies test the limits of our regional systems,” Campbell said. “But we have also seen how preparatory actions, planning, and partnerships—especially those forged in workshops like this—can make a profound difference in saving lives and restoring order.”

The GARD workshop is one of several joint activities between WFP and CDEMA, who engage in year-round trainings and simulations across the Caribbean to assess and address gaps in disaster preparedness, ensuring people quickly get the help they need when crisis strikes.

WFP remains committed to strengthening regional logistics and supply chain readiness in the face of growing climate threats across the Caribbean.