The European Union teamed up with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to launch a four-year, €4 million program to help Caribbean countries prepare for and recover from disasters like hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, according to UNDRR.
The EU-Caribbean-Resilient Programme will work with governments, communities, and private companies across multiple island nations to build better early warning systems and recovery plans. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are also helping with the project that targets some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
Caribbean nations get hit by a brutal mix of natural disasters – powerful hurricanes, floods, droughts, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. These often strike while countries are still dealing with economic problems from COVID-19 and migration pressures. The overlapping crises damage public health, food security, jobs, and infrastructure across the region. The project focuses heavily on helping the most vulnerable people, including women, people with disabilities, and those living in remote areas.
“The Caribbean region is on the frontlines of climate change and disaster risk, facing threats that undermine development and livelihoods,” said UNDP’s Shoko Noda.
UNDRR’s Kamal Kishore said the partnership helps strengthen the Caribbean’s ability to anticipate and respond to hazards by making early warning systems work better and getting everyone involved.
The program works with regional groups like the Caribbean Development Bank, World Bank, and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency so countries can share what they learn and build stronger defenses against future disasters.
