The Government of Canada through CIDA is supporting the efforts of the Canadian Red Cross to assist Caribbean countries and local communities to better prepare for natural disasters.
In a press release the Canadian High Commission said on Wednesday, Inter-national Day for Disaster Reduction, Minister of International Cooperation Beverley J Oda announced support for reducing the impact of natural disasters in the Caribbean.
According to the release Canada’s support for this project is a component of its Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Programme.
“It is only by strengthening the region’s resiliency to natural disasters that Caribbean states will reduce the number of lives lost and the severe impacts on their populations,” Oda said.
Canada has contributed CDN$3.5 million to the Canadian Red Cross project which will help deliver training that will enable people living in vulnerable communities better understand the hazards of their environment and adopt practices that will make their homes safer as well as help them prepare for disasters.
It has also developed projects under the CDN$20M Programme that are helping to boost the safety of hospitals, develop health disaster plans, strengthen the coordination of disaster response activities and build better emergency telecommunications systems.