The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) today mounted an assessment mission to Dominica, following the devastating passage of Tropical Storm Erika over the island, Thursday.
The Caribbean Development Bank, CDB, has announced that an Emergency Relief Grant of USD 200,000 is being made immediately available to the Government of Dominica in the wake of Tropical Storm Erika. Heavy rains from Erika impacted the island on Thursday causing loss of life and widespread devastation.
The movement of people within the Greater Caribbean Region has existed since time immemorial and has spanned centuries and generations. Persons of our Region have always moved in search of greater opportunities and economic advancement. Over the last few decades efforts have been made towards formalizing the movement of people and their economic activity. The movement of business people is a key factor in the promotion of free and open trade and investment.
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 5th August, 2015- The consensus of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Member States that “There is a need to facilitate business visas to business persons of the Greater Caribbean, in order to increase their awareness of markets and facilitate their interest, and participation, as exporters, importers, service providers or investors” has led to the creation of a Proposed Business Visa System for the Greater Caribbean. This has come as a result of ACS collaboration with the International Organization for Migration.
Five CARICOM countries (six caribbean countries) have achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on hunger.
In its latest report, ‘Panorama of Food Insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean 2015’, released yesterday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) named Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname among countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have made that major step.
It said Jamaica was close to achieving that MDG goal.
The CDEMA Coordinating Unit has activated the Regional Response Mechanism (RRM) given the preliminary reports of significant impact to Dominica from Tropical Storm Erika. The RRM is an arrangement for the coordination of disaster response among CDEMA Participating States, and Regional and International Agencies.
There are reports of casualties and damage to infrastructure:
25-30 persons presumed missing in the north-eastern and south-eastern areas of Dominica,
Three (3) bodies have been recovered to date.
Airport remains closed
Port-au-Prince – Edward Greene, Division Chief of the Technical Cooperation Division of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) held talks yesterday with the Minister of Commerce and Industry of Haiti that were described as both “frank and productive”. In addition, Greene met with a senior official of CARIFESTA, the Caribbean Festival of the Arts, and affirmed the Bank’s commitment to support of the creative arts. Haiti is playing host to CARIFESTA XII from August 21-30.
Representatives of Caribbean businesses along with financiers and government officers in the clean energy sector will get a better understanding of how to plan and prepare for bankable projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency this week. Some 30 project owners, developers, funders, financiers and consultants from several Caribbean countries are attending a Regional workshop on Financing Tools and Approaches for Sustainable Energy Projects.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a US$12.5 million Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Programme (CMBP), in an effort to protect critical marine ecosystems and reduce threats to the region’s fisheries and tourism sectors.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says Caribbean and Latin American countries have set new regional targets for 2020 aimed at reducing by 75 percent new HIV infections in adults and young people by 2020.