PIRAC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) have been working for several years to strengthen disaster management legislative frameworks to facilitate international humanitarian response in the region.
The Caribbean has been affected in recent years by an increase in disasters and crises requiring humanitarian assistance on a regional and international scale. While the number and diversity of international stakeholders undeniably helps to preserve lives, it also challenges the local capacities of Caribbean territories to coordinate large-scale movements of humanitarian goods, personnel and equipment in the aftermath of a major disaster. An operational legislative framework is therefore essential to facilitate the rapid and coordinated entry of international aid into national territories, and to bring relief to affected populations.
In times of emergency, each day counts for affected populations, and laws and policies should help open the doors and not be barriers
In this regard, the second Caribbean workshop on International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) was held online on November 7 and 8 2023, jointly facilitated by the IFRC, the CDEMA and the French Red Cross through PIRAC, as part of the READY 360° programme, co-funded by INTERREG Caribbean under the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).
During this regional workshop, regional actors, Caribbean Red Cross and governmental institutions discussed the challenges about the entry of international aid, based on recent crisis experiences in the Caribbean. Recommendations were put forward to strengthen legislation on humanitarian goods and personnel.
The event was an opportunity to present the virtual exhibition that will be launched at the end of 2023 to raise public awareness of international disaster response law.
