USAID and OFDA to support Caribbean region’s response capacity; in light of the 2018 Hurricane Season

​The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), is supporting the Caribbean region’s response capacity as it relates to effective operational management of emergency shelters, in preparation for the 2018 hurricane season.
 
Following requests made by their respective National Disaster Offices, over 40 officials from Barbados and St. Lucia recently participated in USAID/OFDA’s two-day Shelters and Shelter Management (SSM) training course.  SSM training is requested by countries according to their needs, and forms part of USAID/OFDA’s Regional Disaster Assistance Program portfolio.
 
The participants who are all responsible for managing emergency shelters in times of crisis, included school principals; church representatives; representatives of District Disaster Committees; and representatives from Ministries of Public Works, Education, Public Health and Social Services.
 
The training exercise featured a combination of classroom activities and simulation exercises, and participants conducted an assessment of a designated shelter in each country, to ascertain suitability or readiness should the need arise.