Bridgetown, Barbados May 30, 2022– The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), is deploying a two-man team to travel to Suriname to assess the impact of heavy flooding caused by recent heavy rainfall.
This follows a Declaration on Wednesday, May 25th from President of Suriname, Chandrikaperdad Santokhi, that the districts of Brokopondo, Sipaliwini, Marowijne, Para, Saramacca, Coronie and Nickerie, in the Interior and southern sections, have been severely impacted due to continuous rainfall which started as early as March affecting agricultural crops, roads, electricity, housing and schools.
The CDEMA Response Support Mission is being led by Programme Manager, Preparedness and Response, Joanne Persad who is supported by Navindra Persad from the Disaster Preparedness Office in Trinidad and Tobago. The one-week mission will assess the situation on the ground and help with determining the response and humanitarian needs of the country.
Following the Declaration from President Santokhi, CDEMA activated a high-level meeting attended by its international partner donors operating in the region, where more than a dozen pledged humanitarian assistance to the Suriname people.
Bridgetown, Barbados May 25, 2022– As the 2022 Hurricane Season approaches, the CDEMA Coordinating Unit (CU) hosted its fourth annual Exercise SYNERGY virtually on May 22, 2022, to build preparedness for the potential multi-island, multi-hazard impact threat to the region. Over 50 regional and international stakeholders attended SYNERGY, a flagship regional exercise to test the coordination within the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM).
Bridgetown, Barbados June 24, 2021– CDEMA has officially deployed five Detailed Damage Sectoral Assessment (DDSA) teams to Guyana on June 23, 2021 to report on sectors affected by escalated flooding. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) called on CDEMA to prepare a damage and loss estimate report which will be compiled after teams assess the key Regions 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 5 (Mahaica-Berbice), 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne), 7 (Cuyumi-Mazaruni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).
Bridgetown, Barbados May 25th, 2021 – The High Commission of Canada to Barbados and the OECS officially handed over a Deployment Package to CDEMA to support its Response Units on May 19, 2021. The package, worth over CAD$15,000, was funded through the Targeted Support to CDEMA Project and equips teams with backpacks, hats, insulated water bottles and waterproof mobile phone cases.
Executive Director (ag) of CDEMA Elizabeth Riley expressed her appreciation for the ongoing partnership saying, “Canada has been an excellent partner of CDEMA, and this is a statement from my heart…the first multi-year project that I managed at CDEMA was a Canadian Finance Project and it was a game changer in what we were able to bring to the table in pushing the resilience conversation. The flexibility of how the Government of Canada interfaces with us as an implementation agency has really allowed us to do our jobs that much better.”
High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados, Lilian Chatterjee said, “We are very happy to support CDEMA, a long-term partner for almost 30 years, and this is just one of the outcomes of the Targeted Support to CDEMA Project. I think CDEMA is the perfect example of an agency that walks the walk… and I believe that CDEMA is a jewel and an agency that should be treasured.”
Plans were discussed to address the ongoing recovery process in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where CAD$500,000 will be mobilized through the Targeted Support Project’s Caribbean Early Recovery Fund. On the heels of the 2021 Hurricane Season, Canada has pledged its full support to CDEMA’s work in the Participating States.
Following the devastation of the 2017 Hurricane Season, Canada pledged CAD$100 million to assist the region with resilience and building back better and the Targeted Support to CDEMA Project is one of the projects emanating from this pledge. One of the Project’s largest successes has been Integrated Regional Logistics Hub, where over CAD$400,000 was reallocated to support operations, facilitating the delivery of key medical supplies and personal protective equipment to member states to assist in their COVID-19 response. Nine key staff positions are funded by the project, to execute the agency’s mandate and enhance the Regional Response Mechanism.
CDEMA Executive Director (Ag.) Elizabeth Riley (left) receives a Deployment Package from the High Commissioner to Canada, Lilian Chatterjee
For further information, please contact:
Andrea Austin
Communication and Public Relations Specialist
CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (CDEMA)
Resilience Way, Lower Estate
St. Michael
BARBADOS
Tel #: (246) 434-4880
Fax #: (246) 271-3660
Email:
Bridgetown, Barbados April 15, 2021 – CDEMA deployed a Detailed Damage Sectoral Analysis (DDSA) team on April 14, 2021 in support of the humanitarian efforts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines following the explosive eruptions of La Soufriere volcano that commenced on April 9, 2021. The DDSA team will support the government by providing an assessment of key sectors and guidance towards estimating needs and associated costs, which will inform the relief and recovery efforts.