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A new emergency response center has been inaugurated in Barbados, just as the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season begins. Officially opened on May 26, 2025, at Grantley Adams International Airport, the Caribbean Regional Logistics Centre and Centre of Excellence aims to improve disaster response times across the region.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley highlighted the strategic advantage of the center's location. "If you have to wait on [supplies] to come from Panama, that's 1,200 miles away. If you have to bring [supplies] from Miami, that's 1,500 miles away... this is just a perfect conclusion," she said. Mottley emphasized that the facility will be crucial for delivering food and supplies quickly during emergencies.
The initiative is part of an 11-year collaboration between the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WFP and the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) oversee operations with support from World Food Program USA ($2.3 million) and The Church ($2 million).
Lola Castro, WFP’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated that the center will significantly aid disaster victims by reducing waiting times for essential supplies after natural disasters. “This centre will be the solution,” Castro noted.
The facility serves two main purposes: as a logistics warehouse storing relief materials for quick distribution across the Caribbean and as a training site enhancing disaster response capabilities through workshops and simulations.
Elder Claude Gamiette from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expressed their commitment to humanitarian efforts. “Preparedness allows us to not only respond to our needs but also to the needs of others,” he said.
Prime Minister Mottley thanked various organizations involved in developing the center and acknowledged The Church's philanthropic approach in meeting humanitarian needs.
Wilred Abrahams, Barbados' minister of Home Affairs, Information and Public Affairs, stressed that pre-positioning goods before disasters are invaluable for immediate response efforts.
Elizabeth Riley, CDEMA Executive Director, noted that climate change increases logistical challenges in disaster management. Even before its completion, parts of the center were used during Hurricane Beryl last year.
The facility can store up to 1,300 pallets with cold storage capacity while decreasing response times by seven days through prepositioning supplies near high-risk areas.
Castro concluded by emphasizing that this center is "more than a warehouse" but a collaborative effort among regional partners aimed at saving lives.
The opening event featured a plaque unveiling followed by a reception.
