Bridgetown - The Atlantic Hurricane Season, which begins annually on 1 June, is a time when Caribbean countries are always on high alert, as they are affected frequently by hurricanes, the hazard which has historically caused the most damage in the region.  In 2017 alone, for example, hurricane losses in the Caribbean were estimated at US$129 millioni. Officials from the UN Emergency Technical Team (UNETT), led by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and IOM-UN Migration met with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on 8 June 2023 to begin a review of four documents presented by the regional emergency management body, which aim to improve policy and guidance on evacuations, emergency shelter and displacement, contributing to preparedness of countries in the region. 

The UN agencies of the UNETT will individually review these model policy and guidelines documents to ensure the inclusion and consideration of women, children, migrants, cross border movements, best practices and new and emerging approaches to disaster preparedness and management. Inputs will be gathered by IOM and these will be presented to CDEMA with the goal of finalizing the documents to be some of the most comprehensive guides and policies for small island states. 

These documents, when they are finalized, will support improved and coordinated preparedness of all countries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in the event of a disaster in the region. “The urgency to prepare is becoming more prominent, and when stakeholders are prepared with policies and guidelines that are clear and inclusive, countries and international partners are able to respond according to their specialized mandate and mobilize resources to efficiently support states and persons affected by crises,” noted Brendan Tarnay, Program Support Officer at IOM. 

IOM has been supporting collaborative efforts in disaster management across the region, in order to build resilience to negative socio-economic drivers of migration.  Other UN agencies have been working in the countries to support similar initiatives.  This activity reflects a strategic shift in the way the UN works, where the organizations are intentionally taking a more unified approach, acting within and across their areas of specialization for a more integrated approach to supporting their Member States.  This whole-of-UN approach provides an improved cooperation model with CDEMA, being modeled under this project, which will result in more comprehensive policies and guidance to strengthen coordinated national and regional preparation and response to disasters in the Caribbean.  

This activity is coordinated by IOM’s Western Hemisphere Program with the generous support of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).