Bridgetown, Barbados July 27th, 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and Jack Ma Foundation have made a significant donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The shipment of supplies worth over USD$700,000 arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport on July 26, 2020.
Prime Minister of Barbados, The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., spoke at yesterday’s ceremony commemorating the donation. She explained, “On every single occasion that we have reached out to the WHO, to PAHO and to CARPHA I can say without fear of contradiction that they have been there for the Caribbean Community during this pandemic. I want to thank the WHO for being responsive, but for going beyond that because what you see today is only one example of that generous commitment to work on behalf of the smaller states.”
Executive Director (ag) of CDEMA Elizabeth Riley said, “By virtue of the multi-hazard environment that we exist in, we in the Caribbean know first-hand what it means to live with risk and we also know that resilience is our point of departure,”
“I wish to take this opportunity to thank you, Prime Minister Mottley for your regional leadership in your capacity as Chair of CARICOM during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the staunch support of the Government of Barbados, one of our Sub-Regional Focal Points, in facilitating the establishment and operations of the hub.”
Twenty CARICOM countries stand as the beneficiaries of the supplies, which will be delivered within two weeks through the hub. “The Integrated Regional Logistics Hub is part of the vision of the enhanced services that the Regional Response Mechanism will deliver to our Participating States going forward,” Riley added.
The IRLH will facilitate PPE shipment to 14 countries, and the World Food Programme will facilitate shipment to six countries. CAD$401,359 has been re-allocated by the Government of Canada from the Targeted Support to CDEMA project, towards the establishment and operations of the regional hub.