KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Caribbean Centre for Disaster and Risk Reduction located in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor at The University of the West Indies (UWI) and The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) have agreed establish a facility in New York — the Caribbean Emergency Management Association (CEMA).

The UWI in a release said that CEMA will resonate with the North American communities with an understanding of the work done by the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

According to the UWI, CEMA will mobilise North American networks including stakeholders in the private sector, civil society, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), media, and tertiary institutions in order to mobilise resources for disaster relief and construction within the Caribbean.

In light of the phenomenal damage caused to the Caribbean during the 2017 hurricane season, there has been a growing call within Diaspora communities and international development agencies in North America, the UWI release said.

CEMA will be hosted in the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUUWI) office in New York, which is located in the Office of the Jamaican Consulate.

CEMA will be jointly chaired by Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, and Executive Director of CDEMA, Dr Ronald Jackson.