Gya: CDERA shamed into moving on Haiti

BRIDGETOWN -- THE Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CEDERA) will next month move for a change in its operational policy to be empowered to provide humanitarian assistance to countries of the region that are not currently members of the disaster relief mechanism.

At present neither Haiti, which is a member of the Caribbean Community, nor the Dominican Republic---both of which are current victims of enormous flood-created disasters--are not among the 16 member countries of CEDERA.

It has been noted that within two days of the Barbados "Daily Nation" editorial in Tuesday's edition, that was critical of the lack of response by CARICOM, and by extension CEDERA, to rush emergency aid to Haiti and the DR, the management of CEDERA took temporary action to do so pending a change in official policy.
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Following a meeting of its management team on Wednesday at which the crisis situations in both Haiti and the DR were reviewed, CEDERA has now launched an appeal directed specifically at member governments of the agency as well as its traditional key partners.

Based on consultations and information provided by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, CEDERA said it has decided against seeking help for emergency relief supplies to the affected remote areas and, instead, is appealing for cash donations.