Under US-Caribbean 2020, the United States is committed to advancing security, diplomacy, prosperity, energy, education, and health in the Caribbean.

As part of this ongoing effort the United States is providing $1.5 million to increase disaster preparedness and resilience under the US-Caribbean Resilience Partnership, a release from the US Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean said.

This partnership aims to strengthen U.S.-Caribbean cooperation and advance greater resilience to withstand the impacts of climate change, natural disasters, and extreme weather events by leveraging American and Caribbean innovation and expertise. Funding will support technical exchanges and consultations between U.S. interagency resilience experts, ministries, and disaster management officials from the Caribbean region.

On October 23-24, the United States hosted the inaugural meeting of the US-Caribbean Resilience Partnership working group in Barbados to further the US-Caribbean Partnership. This meeting, led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Cynthia Kierscht with USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Barbara Feinstein, brought together 18 Caribbean countries, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the Regional Security System, international donors, and non-governmental partners, including universities and the private sector. The working group assessed disaster resilience needs and proposed next steps to better coordinate efforts.

This event builds on the inaugural meeting of the partnership, which took place on April 12.