Category: CANA News

Bermuda has issued a warning alert after five cases of fish poisoning have been recorded here so far this year.

The Ministry of Health and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in its advisory to the public and the fishing community are warning of ‘ongoing risks associated with ciguatera fish poisoning and scombroid (histamine) poisoning’.

It said that the advisory follows recent reports under investigation and that to date, five cases have been confirmed including four in August.

‘Ciguatera is caused by naturally occurring marine toxins that can enter the food chain and accumulate in large predatory reef fish. Although ciguatera has not traditionally been common in Bermuda, large barracuda, yellow jack, amberjack and bonita have been implicated in previous cases, and other large reef fish may pose a ris,’ the authorities said in the joint statement.

They said symptoms can include nausea, diarrhea, itching, tingling, numbness, muscle pain and a reversal of hot and cold sensations.

‘The toxin cannot be detected based on the appearance, taste or smell of the fish, and is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.’

With regards to scombroid poisoning, the statement said it occurs when certain fish are not chilled quickly enough after being caught, allowing histamine to build up.

‘It is commonly associated with tuna, mackerel, wahoo and dolphin (mahi mahi). Symptoms may include facial flushing, rash, headache, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Histamine cannot be detected based on the appearance, taste or smell of the fish, and cooking or freezing will not destroy histamine once it has formed.’

The authorities are urging the public to engage in good handling practices help prevent scombroid poisoning, reminding fishers to bleed and gut fish immediately after capture, thoroughly ice them as soon as possible, and keep fish cold throughout handling, transport and storage.

‘Members of the public who experience illness after consuming fish should seek medical care promptly and report relevant exposure information to their healthcare provider. Physicians will report suspected cases to the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, which continues to monitor and assess any new reports and will update the public if further action is required.’

A director of the state-owned Surinamese Aviation Company (SLM) says the recovery and future plans must contribute to the further development of the national airline.

John Sandie told the state-owned Suriname Communication Service (CDS) that he believes based on studies undertaken examining the routes and financial position, the airline has the potential to be a ‘healthy airline’. ‘We have the opportunity to grow big in this country, and we are going to do so,’ Sandie said, even as he acknowledged that funding and approval of the plan are needed to proceed.

He told the CDS that SLM is in a transition where stability, operational reliability, customer orientation, digitalization, and stronger partnerships are central.

He said because of safety concerns there are delays everywhere in the aviation industry, adding that ‘no one will depart if it is unsafe.

‘Of course, you don’t like to see these things happen. You don’t want downtime, you don’t want disruption. That is why we are actually looking to the future. We are aiming for stability, peace of mind, customer orientation, digitalization, better machines, better partners, stronger partners.’

Sandie said that SLM has established a working relationship with several Caribbean-based airlines and is holding talks with larger partners, whom he does not name.

But he said that from September 27, SLM will fly with Eastern Airlines on the Mid-Atlantic route. Eastern Airlines will become Surinam Airways’ new partner on the Paramaribo-Amsterdam route for the next two years.

He said that the national carrier will deploy its own Boeing 777-200 starting in December and that in the coming years, he expects the airline to acquire more aircraft and add new destinations given that SLM has received invitations for new destinations while Barranquilla in Colombia, Sint Maarten, and Jamaica are further possibilities. He said the airline wants to resume flying to Curaçao.

Sandie said SLM also wants to play a larger role within Suriname’s tourism product and develop a hub function.

‘We really want to engage with the sector, involving it in our plans. But even more so, we want to be an international operator.’

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

NEW YORK – Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have agreed to impose a range of sanctions on the notorious Haitian gang, Viv Ansamn, and 23 other similar narco-terrorist groups operating in several countries of the Americas.

NEW YORK – Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis says while the Caribbean has so far not recorded a single hurricane this season ‘the Atlantic lies as still as a sleeping giant’.

NEW YORK – Guyana and Burundi have joined the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to advance country-led cooperation and financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

GEORGETOWN – The Guyana government has described as ‘utter foolishness’ social media reports that it played a role in the decision of the United States government to ‘review’ the visa of High Court judge, Gino Persaud.

BRIDGETOWN -Barbados has become the latest Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country since the start of the new academic year this month to announce a zero tolerance policy for violence at schools.

KINGSTON – The Jamaica government says it is awaiting the ‘next steps’ from the London-based Privy Council after Kingston announced that Britain’s King Charles had referred its landmark slavery reparation petition to the country’s highest and final court.

SPORTS:

KINGSTON -In a move that signals a bright future for Jamaican football, Toronto FC forward Jahmarie Nolan has earned his first call-up to the senior Reggae Boyz squad for his explosive club form.

CASTRIE -New Saint Lucia senior men’s national football team head coach Rajesh Latchoo has selected a strong, experienced yet youthful 25-member squad for his first match in charge, which is Friday’s CONCACAF Nations League clash with Barbados here at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.

Several lawyers, including the President of the Jamaica Bar Association, Tenneshia Watkins, Wednesday staged a silent protest outside the Supreme Court here in support of their calls for a review of the mandatory sentencing provisions of the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022.

The lawyers armed with placards, some of which read ‘Tough on guns: yes. Tough on children: no.’ say they are concerned with the mandatory minimum sentencing provisions, particularly the restriction they place on judicial discretion.

‘We have seen the injustices in the system and we are now here for a change. The biggest issue we have is the mandatory minimum which has taken away the discretion of the judge totally,’ Watkins said.

Under the 2022 legislation, certain firearms offences attract mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years, but the lawyers argue that the sentencing regime does not adequately allow judges to distinguish between offenders and the individual circumstances surrounding cases.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck is quoted in the media as saying that a repeal of mandatory minimum sentences is unlikely with the security forces crediting the measure for a decline in murders and shootings.

‘The legislature should not tie the hands of the judiciary,’ said one of the protesting lawyers, with another telling reporters the action ‘is the start, we will take further steps next week if it is we are not called to the table for a meeting….’

‘…by next week we might not be going into the courts to do any matter at all, we will continue to withdraw services until we get some attention and the discussions begin. It can’t be that a guilty plea is of no moment in this piece of legislation. You plead guilty 15 years, you go to a trial on your phone guilty 15 years, that just makes no sense,’ Watkins added.

King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie said that the protest must not be viewed as lawyers being opposed to combating gun crime or taking a political stance.

‘It has nothing to do with JLP (ruling Jamaica Labour Party), PNP (opposition People’s National Party),’ he said, adding that it has to do with the mandatory minimum sentencing that has to be reviewed.

‘It has to do with the fact that we have to look at this in a sense where, and in the context where, for the first time historically, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions also is aligned with our view that there needs to be a review of the legislation.

‘No one is exclusively saying that a 15-year mandatory minimum is to be removed. That’s not it. We need some kind of meeting. We need some action to review the legislation. And to say that murders are down because of the gun law, in my view, in our view, that is something that is absolutely a misfit.’

Champagnie said that while the lawyers must commend the secuity forces for the reduction in crime ‘and we are happy for tha, but this is more than that.

‘So let us not take it as a political campaign, as some are doing by pausing, publicising placards and so on, saying PNP lawyers and gunmen lawyers. We have seen it and it is actually very offensive and it is misleading,’ he said commending the Advocates Association of Jamaica and the Jamaican Bar Association for speaking up about their concerns regarding the legislation.

The protest was held under the banner, ‘Enough Is Enough – Silent Protest: A Fairer Firearms Act for a Safer Jamaica’.

The Jamaica government says it is awaiting the ‘next steps’ from the London-based Privy Council after Kingston announced that Britain’s King Charles had referred its landmark slavery reparation petition to the country’s highest and final court.

‘We are awaiting directions from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as to the next steps to be taken in the case. We will keep the Cabinet and the Parliament updated on the developments,’ Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange told the Parliament on Tuesday.

She told legislators that the British had confirmed that Jamaica’s legal questions have been passed on to the Privy Council.

‘The King could have ignored us. The King could have delayed responding to us. The King could have made a decision not to refer the questions to the privy council, or he could make a decision to refer the questions,’ she said, adding ‘King Charles has referred the petition filed on the 7th of September, 2026, on behalf of the people of Jamaica to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

‘Indeed we went fearless and boldly into this chapter when we petitioned the King on Monday, September 7, 2026 – one day after the 245th anniversary of the commemoration of the Zong massacre, an event that captures the barbarity of chattel enslavement,’ Grange told legislators.

The petition seeks guidance on three questions: whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful; whether it constituted a crime against humanity; and whether Britain is under an obligation to provide restitution for slavery and its enduring consequences.

United Kingdom-based lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, who helped to formulate the petition as part of a team of eminent Jamaican and UK lawyers, said ‘the petition simply asks the King to refer certain points of real importance to the Privy Council for their determination.

‘There’s a special jurisdiction under section four of the Judicial Committee Act for the King to refer an issue of legal or constitutional importance to the Privy Council, for their determination…Any matter of legal or constitutional nature can be referred that cannot be determined through the ordinary judicial process. And this is obviously one of those issues,’ Fitzgerald added.

Jamaica had activated a rarely used mechanism in the Judicial Committee Act 1833, which allows the King to refer questions of ‘legal or constitutional nature’ to the privy council when they cannot be resolved through ordinary courts.

Grange said that Jamaica had decided on this route given that it did not regard going to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as an option.

‘The United Kingdom has placed specific reservations on the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ which prevent the Court from adjudicating on disputes between the United Kingdom and the government of any other country which is or has been a Member of the Commonwealth’.

Legal observers say that a Privy Council opinion would not compel the United Kingdom to pay reparations, but that it could shape negotiations and legal options and set a precedent for other Commonwealth countries seeking reparations.

Grange reminded legislators that the filing of the petition was in keeping with the instructions of the House that ‘Jamaica should pursue reparations in the name of our African ancestors who endured hundreds of years of enslavement on this island, and in the name of the people of Jamaica.

‘We have chosen to pursue a legal pathway. A matter such as this might have been considered by the International Court of Justice. However, our advice is that Jamaica is prevented from commencing inter-state litigation against the United Kingdom before the International Court of Justice’.

Grange said that London has placed specific reservations on the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ which prevent the Court from adjudicating on disputes between the United Kingdom and the government of any other country which is or has been a Member of the Commonwealth.

Grange said that she had also noted some of the criticism that followed the petition.

‘We see that commentators have taken issue with the term petition, suggesting that we are going to the King on our knees. It’s simply the name of the process which is really a right to ask the King, the Head of State, to take some action on behalf of the people of Jamaica,’ she said.

Lord Jonathan Sumption, a former judge of the Privy Council, had also dismissed the strategy as ‘nonsense’.

Lord Sumption said that Jamaica is actively taking advantage of a Britain that is ‘riven by self-doubt and guilt’ and ‘no longer confident in itself’ in order to extract a massive financial payout.

But the Deputy Chairman of the National Council on Reparations, Bert Samuels, said Jamaica has an ‘enormously strong’ case and dismissed Sumption’s arguments as ‘grossly inappropriate for any lawyer or judge who has not read the petition to comment on the petition.

‘Why didn’t he check with us to hear our view and distill our view and give his informed opinion? I think his bias has outweighed his common sense,’ said Samuels, who describes himself as a Pan-Africanist lawyer.

Grange said that the ancestors who survived the Middle Passage and were taken to Jamaica endured the most horrific experience.

‘Their status as human beings was denied. They were categorised as chattel, which means property that was bought, sold, and branded with hot irons to signify them as belonging to specific enslavers.

‘They were abused with impunity – men, women, girls, and boys. They were raped. They were made to breed. They were forced to work for free. This went on everyday for hundreds of years. It was the gravest crime against humanity.’

Grange said it was not enough for the leaders of countries that enslaved our ancestors to regret the suffering that slavery inflicted and to say to us let’s build a new future.

‘They credit themselves with ending slavery without consideration of the successful struggle for freedom by the ancestors themselves including great heroes such as the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons, the Right Excellent Sam Sharpe, Tacky, Kojo, Accompong, and many others. Must we congratulate the arsonist for putting out the fire?’

In a move that signals a bright future for Jamaican football, Toronto FC forward Jahmarie Nolan has earned his first call-up to the senior Reggae Boyz squad for his explosive club form.

The 16-year-old sensation has been named in Jamaica’s roster for the upcoming 2026 Concacaf Nations League fixtures, marking a meteoric rise for the former Mount Pleasant Football Academy star.

Nolan has been in scintillating form since moving to Canada, adapting seamlessly to the professional environment at Toronto FC.

His performances in the MLS NEXT Pro competition have forced selectors to take notice, with the teenager registering an impressive 10 goals and three assists in 22 appearances.

While his club form has been noteworthy, his exploits on the international youth stage have been nothing short of prolific.

Nolan has been a talisman for the nation’s youth setups, scoring nine goals in just nine appearances for the U-20 side.

Most notably, he played a pivotal role in Jamaica’s successful qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, finding the back of the net seven times in six games to help book the nation’s ticket to the global showpiece scheduled for November.

The highly rated teenager now faces the ultimate test of his rapid development, joining the senior squad to train and compete alongside Jamaica’s established internationals.

Coach Rudolph Speid and his technical staff will be eager to integrate Nolan into the setup, viewing the Nations League fixtures as the perfect environment for the young striker to acclimatise to the pace and physicality of senior international football.

Nolan’s inclusion is an added boost for the Reggae Boyz, who had star winger Leon Bailey pulling out of the original squad due to injury.

Norwich City winger Andre Brooks has also withdrawn from the squad due to injury.

The Jamaica-based Sandals Resort Wednesday announced that it had entered into an agreement with the US-based Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) to form a partnership in the all-inclusive resort space with RCL making a 50 per cent investment.

Under the terms of the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group will acquire a 50 per cent equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for approximately three billion US dollars. Royal Caribbean Group has secured committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley to fund the investment.

The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to be accretive to earnings next year.

‘Building on Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ more than four decades of leadership in Caribbean hospitality, the joint venture will create new opportunities for continued resort growth while broadening the experiences across Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform,’ the parties said in a joint statement following the signing of the agreement by RCL chairman and chief executive officer, Jason Liberty, and Sandals Resorts executive chairman, Adam Stewart.

The statement said that the partnership brings together two of the travel industry’s most celebrated vacation companies, pairing Sandals and Beaches’ all-inclusive resort expertise with Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform, including industry-leading brands – Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea – a portfolio of private destinations, new river cruising offering, and an industry-first loyalty programme.

The two companies said that they will offer travellers an unparalleled collection of cruise, private destination and resort experiences, serving guests across more vacation occasions and establishing their undisputed leadership in Caribbean vacations.

The joint venture expands Royal Caribbean Group into an adjacent vacation category, growing its participation in the approximately two trillion US dollars global vacation market, and meets the growing global demand for Sandals and Beaches Resorts by accelerating their expansion.

The partnership will include Sandals and Beaches’ collection of premier all-inclusive properties across the Caribbean, and the companies will explore opportunities to broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement, and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences offered across both portfolios.

‘For nearly 60 years, we’ve reimagined what a vacation can be, constantly expanding the ways we inspire our guests to explore, connect and create lifelong memories,’ said Liberty, adding ‘we have been building a vacation platform that brings joy to millions of people around the world and creates meaningful relationships that last with our guests.

‘Our partnership with Sandals and Beaches Resorts is an important next step on that journey – bringing together two iconic leading vacation companies to further strengthen and grow one of the most admired resort portfolios in the world. The Stewart family has created powerful and beloved brands, and we are honored to build on that legacy. Together, we see tremendous opportunity to expand the reach of Sandals and Beaches Resorts and continue turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations,’ Liberty said.

Stewart said that his father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, had founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality.

‘Today is proof of how far that vision can go. This partnership is the natural next step in building on that conviction. It gives us the ability to grow faster with a partner that shares our values of exceptional hospitality, long-term investment, and the power of enduring brands. ‘Together, we will introduce more guests to Sandals and Beaches Resorts while creating even more extraordinary experiences for those who have made our resorts part of their lives for decades.

‘As we continue to grow, we will remain true to what has always defined us: delivering authentic vacations that exceed expectations while creating opportunities for our team members, travel advisor partners and the communities we call home. The future has never been brighter, and I know this moment would make my father incredibly proud,’ Stewart said.

The joint venture will be governed by a board under the shared leadership of Stewart and Liberty. Stewart will maintain a leadership role in guiding the company’s long-term strategic growth as executive chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.

Royal Caribbean Group operates 71 ships sailing to more than 1,000 destinations across all seven continents through its three wholly owned brands – Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea – and a 50 per cent joint venture interest in TUI Cruises, which operates the Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd brands.

Named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2026 list and to Forbes’ 2026 Best American Companies lists, Royal Caribbean Group is guided by its mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts has been redefining the region’s all-inclusive experience for more than four decades. Sandals Resorts is the adults-only all-inclusive brand with beachfront resorts across Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Curaçao, and Sr. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Beaches Resorts is the family all-inclusive with resorts in Negril, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos, and coming soon to Exuma, The Bahamas; Barbados; Runaway Bay, Jamaica; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is to pay an official visit to Venezuela after she held a ‘cordial working meeting’ on Wednesday with the acting Venezuelan President, Delcy Rodríguez that both parties say heralds ‘the beginning of a new era in bilateral relations’.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 81st session of United Nations General Assenbly (UNGA) and according to a joint statement issued afterwards, the two leaders ‘reaffirmed the historical bonds of friendship and cooperation that unite Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago’.

The statement said that ‘with the purpose of maintaining a direct consultation mechanism at the highest level, both dignitaries agreed to pay official visits to Caracas and Port of Spain’ with the ‘Venezuelan side indicatng ‘that the Prime Minister was indeed Persona Grata in Venezuela’.

No date has been announced for the visits.

In October last year, the Venezuelan National Assembly declared Persad-Bissessar, persona non grata, banning her from entering the country. Caracas had accused her of supporting the United States military aggression against the Bolivarian Republic that led to the removal of President Nicolas Maduro form office. He along with his wife are now in a United States jail on several charges including illegal drug smuggling,

According to the joint statement, the two leaders during the meeting reiterated ‘their commitment to consolidating the bilateral agenda under the principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, good neighbourliness, dialogue, and cooperation, for the benefit and prosperity of both peoples.

‘In that spirit, they agreed on a work agenda aimed at strengthening exchange and mutual benefit in the areas of trade, energy, security, disaster risk management, environmental protection, agriculture, tourism, air connectivity and culture.’

Earlier this month, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela said they had agreed on a roadmap to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, environmental protection, culture and collective security following a meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries in Caracas.

According to Wednesday’s joint statement, Rodríguez reiterated the gratitude of the people of Venezuela to the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago for the expressions of solidarity offered following the earthquakes of June 24, 2026.

The statement said that they also ‘ratified their determination to continue promoting a relationship of friendship, good neighborliness, trust, and cooperation, aimed at generating concrete opportunities for development and well-being for the peoples of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, and contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean’.

Antigua and Barbuda Wednesday joined Haiti in urging the Organization of American States (OAS) to call for the renewal and full deployment of the Gang Suppression Force(GSF) in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The GSF is a United Nations-authorised multinational security and police mission deployed to Haiti to conduct intelligence-led operations, neutralize armed gangs, secure critical infrastructure, and support humanitarian access as the country moves towards holding presidential and legislative elections on December 13.

Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador to the OAS, Sir Ronald Sanders in joining the Haitian ambassador, Jean Josué Pierre, made the appeal in a Joint Statement as the United Nations Security Council prepares to consider renewal of the 5,500 GSF’s mandate before the end of September.

Sir Ronald, who is Dean of the OAS Corps of Ambassadors, said the central purpose of the proposed statement was ‘clear and urgent.

‘We call upon the United Nations Security Council to renew the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force, and upon the international community to ensure its full and consistent deployment,’ he said, cautioning that renewal of the mandate would achieve little unless governments honoured their commitments of personnel, financing, equipment and logistical support.

‘A force authorised on paper but deprived of the resources necessary to fulfil its mandate cannot deliver the security that the Haitian people desperately need. Words of support must now be matched by the resources and resolve that can turn solidarity into security,’ Sanders added.

The proposed Joint Statement calls for the GSF to support the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti in restoring lawful state authority in gang-controlled areas, securing the airport and port, reopening vital transport routes and protecting the population.

It also calls for stronger international action to stop the illicit flow of arms and ammunition into Haiti, disrupt the financial and supply networks sustaining the gangs, and identify, expose and bring to justice those who finance, arm or otherwise enable them.

‘Security must create the space in which constitutional and democratic government can be restored.It must also permit humanitarian assistance, economic recovery and opportunity for Haiti’s young people.

‘Haiti is asking us to help create the conditions in which the Haitian people can reclaim their future for themselves. Let us call with one voice for renewal of the mandate, full deployment of the Force and fulfilment of the commitments made to Haiti,’ Sir Ronald added.

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) Wednesday said it has approved US$200,000 in grant funding to the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to implement the Regional Resilient Residential Construction and Reconstruction Project.

CAF said that the Caribbean is one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions, where tropical cyclones, floods, landslides, earthquakes and other natural hazards continue to place homes, communities and economies at risk.

It said strengthening the way homes are built before disasters occur can help reduce damage, protect lives and property, and support faster recovery and that over the next 18 months, the initiative will build on CDEMA’s existing Safer Building Programme, to help Caribbean countries strengthen residential construction by equipping builders with new skills, supporting technical training institutions and promoting the adoption of resilient building standards.

The project will focus on the people and institutions that shape the quality of residential construction, including builders, artisans, contractors and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. It will also provide training in resilient construction techniques and support TVET institutions in integrating the Regional Code of Practice for Residential Construction into their programmes.

The initiative will also promote greater awareness of resilient housing standards among homeowners, financial institutions, policymakers and other stakeholders to encourage wider adoption of safer construction practices.

‘Rebuilding after a disaster will always be necessary, but preparing before one strikes is where we can make the greatest difference. Resilience begins with the way residential infrastructure is designed and built,’ said Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, CAF’s Regional Manager for the Caribbean.

‘This aligns with CAF’s commitment to invest not only in resilient infrastructure projects, but also in knowledge, technical capacity and practices that will serve to reinforce a culture of disaster preparedness across the Caribbean. CAF is proud to partner with CDEMA and to provide technical assistance grant funding to support this important project to build more resilient communities.’

CDEMA executive director, Elizabeth Riley said that every disaster reminds everyone that resilience is not built in the aftermath of an event, ‘but through the decisions we make before it occurs. Strengthening the way our homes and communities are designed and built is therefore a critical investment in protecting lives, livelihoods and our development gains.

‘CDEMA is pleased to be working with CAF to address these challenges by strengthening resilient construction practices, building technical capacity and promoting greater disaster preparedness across the Caribbean.

‘Partnerships such as this are critical to ensuring that our communities are better prepared to withstand the impacts of disasters and that the region’s development gains are protected,’ she added.