Experienced shelter practitioners from across the Caribbean have begun the Caribbean Advanced Emergency Shelter Training of Trainers at UN House in Barbados — a certified three-day course designed to strengthen the region’s ability to manage emergency shelters safely, efficiently and with dignity when disasters force people from their homes. The training is delivered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), REACT Disaster Response, and UN Women, with funding from European Union Humanitarian Aid under the Resilient Caribbean Project.
Running from 21 to 23 July 2026, the course brings together 20 participants from seven Caribbean countries and territories — Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Sint Maarten — including representatives of national disaster management offices, government ministries and United Nations agencies. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is represented by Houlda Deloris Peters of the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).
The advanced training follows the global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) package, adapted to the Caribbean context. Participants are deepening their skills in data and information management; prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA); prevention of and response to gender-based violence; listening and providing information to communities; and the roles and responsibilities of authorities and humanitarian organizations in disaster response. The course also includes intensive, hands-on facilitation practice so participants can train others when they return home. Patrice Quesada, IOM’s Coordinator for the Caribbean shared the vision for the training – “This advanced, rights-based training package is designed to make a practical difference for families forced to leave their homes. The next time a shelter opens, staff will be better prepared to register families quickly, identify those most at risk, and connect people to the support they need with dignity and care.”
Each newly certified trainer will be expected to deliver at least one follow-on shelter training in their own country within 12 months, extending the reach of the course beyond the specialists in the room and helping strengthen national preparedness before the next emergency. In this way, volunteers and staff working in emergency shelters in participating countries should be better equipped to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse and gender-based violence; provide residents with clear information on available services; and ensure people know where to find help or raise concerns. Vulnerable groups — including older persons, persons with disabilities, children and single-parent households — stand to benefit most when shelters are managed in ways that identify needs early and respond appropriately.
This Training-of-Trainers is part of a wider series of capacity-building interventions funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid under the Resilient Caribbean Project, “Fostering Collaborative Approaches to Disaster Preparedness in the Caribbean,” implemented by IOM, which allows very important regional preparedness initiatives to be undertaken. According to Virginie Andre, Programme Manager Disaster Risk Management, EU Delegation Barbados, OECS, Eastern Caribbean States and with relation with OCTs, the EU remains invested in this preparedness approach. “The European Union remains committed to supporting Caribbean countries in strengthening preparedness, anticipatory action and regional cooperation to address increasing disaster and climate-related risks. With displacement caused by hurricanes and other hazards rising across the region, strong capacity to manage emergency shelters has become even more essential, and this investment is both timely and worthwhile.”
Meanwhile, the team at IOM Caribbean has expressed deep gratitude to EU Humanitarian Aid as a steady partner that has been willing to invest in preparedness actions, mobilizing resources in advance of any disaster, towards the shared objective of saving lives and protecting people on the move.
