CDEMA conducting emergency simulation drill
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is conducting an inter-agency exercise aimed at strengthening the regional and global coordinating mechanisms for disasters in the region.
CDEMA, which is carrying out the activity in collaboration with in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), says the inter-agency exercise is intended to enhance the inter-operability among the partner institutions.
It is designed with a scenario of a hurricane affecting the Eastern Sub-Regional Group and an earthquake affecting the Southern Sub Regional Group.
“Thus far, the exercise has proven to be informative and enlightening as participants’ awareness on regional and global mechanisms have been enhanced,” said Joanne Persad, programme manager for preparedness and response.
“Overall, this is intended to improve efficiency, coordination and response support to the countries of the region,” she added.
CDEMA said that, in keeping with the need to coordinate disaster management across the region, the importance of this activity is to ensure that agencies operating in the Caribbean are prepared to respond to a regional crisis situation.
“The exercise simulates a major hurricane that results in grave consequences and damages to people, main transit routes and infrastructure; triggering the regional response mechanism and requiring international humanitarian assistance,” the agency explained.
The simulation also tests the CDEMA Regional Coordination Plan, the Regional Coordination Centre Standard Operating Procedures, the CDEMA CU Contingency Plan, the Eastern Sub Regional Coordinating Centre SOPs, the Eastern Caribbean Donor Group Operations Orders, and the National Disaster Plans for members of the Eastern Sub region.
Countries participating in the activity include Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. Several regional and international organisations, including the Pan American Health Organization and the United Nations Development Programme are also being represented at the two-day event.