The Caribbean is no stranger to disasters. The region is one of the most exposed areas in the world when it comes to natural hazards, including tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. While these challenges are significant, the region has developed strong national coping capacities to manage and mitigate the impacts. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of these events, with record-warm ocean temperatures leading to forecasts that the 2024 hurricane season will be the most active on record.
Against this backdrop, CBI is working with the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM) and its constituent members, as well as with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and various national disaster management organizations, to facilitate public-private collaboration on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from these disasters.
Hurricane Beryl (Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines)
Hurricane Beryl hit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada on 1 July as a Category 4 hurricane, destroying almost every structure on Union Island (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) as well as on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique (Grenada). Hurricane Beryl then increased to a Category 5, passing south of the Dominican Republic and Haiti before making landfall in Jamaica on 3 July. This is the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, and among the worst storms to hit the region since records began in 1851. Over 82 thousand people are potentially affected, and an estimated $9 million is urgently required for the immediate humanitarian response in the countries currently affected. Read the Regional Overview and Planned Response: Hurricane Beryl, July – December 2024 for more information.
The OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative is working closely with local and regional partners including CDEMA, CARICHAM, and the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, and the St. Vincent & the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce to mobilize and coordinate private sector support to the Hurricane Beryl response. Contact us at connectingbusiness@un.org to request advice or support, or to report on the contributions of your company or foundation. A Briefing Note for the Private Sector will be available early next week.
Local businesses with operations in the affected areas are advised to reach out CARICHAM for advice and support. Contact CARICHAM at coordinator@caribbeanchambers.net.
Mobilizing the Private Sector to Support Humanitarian Response
The OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative is working closely with local and regional private sector partners through the Network of Caribbean Chambers of Commerce (CARICHAM), which facilitates sharing of information among the 24 chambers of commerce from across the Caribbean region.
The Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Joint Chambers of Trinidad & Tobago: The chambers of commerce from Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago had set up donation drives to consolidate financial and in-kind contributions from the local private sector.
Supporting the response efforts for Hurricane Beryl, the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago has been working closely with CARICHAM and other private sector partners, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to facilitate connections with local businesses to procure relief items. As part of the Joint Chambers of Trinidad and Tobago, they have also donated chainsaws to the Government of Grenada for post-hurricane recovery efforts. The Joint Chambers of Trinidad & Tobago have delivered a variety of hardware items requested by NEMO in St. Vincent to support relief efforts. This includes tarpaulins, wheelbarrows, shovels, rope, plastic sheeting, water boots, safety vests, cutlasses and plywood. These items were purchased in St. Vincent as part of the chambers’ commitment to help the local private sector continue to operate during the emergency.
El Centro Nacional de Apoyo para Contingencias Epidemiológicas y Desastres, A. C. (CENACED), the CBI network in Mexico: As part of their hurricane preparedness measures, CENACED had a meeting with the National Coordination for Civil Protection to discuss potential offers of assistance from their private sector partners. CENACED is coordinating efforts with local government authorities and have mobilized two brigades (one with psychologists, one with doctors), including food packages and drinking water for families in the affected areas (exact location and no. of NFIs to be provided).