Disaster relief charity ShelterBox is stepping up its emergency preparedness in the Caribbean by pre-positioning life-saving aid in Barbados, just in time for hurricane season.
The new stockpile will include enough shelter materials and essential supplies to support 5,000 people. Items like tents, tarpaulins, blankets, solar lights, mosquito nets, and water carriers will be stored in a brand-new warehouse managed by the World Food Programme and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
“Being prepared before disaster strikes is key,” says Global Supply Chain Manager at ShelterBox, Benedict Redman.
“By storing aid closer to where it’s needed, we can respond faster and more efficiently, saving time, money, and lives.”
The aid is being shipped from Panama with support from Airlink, a nonprofit that helps transport humanitarian cargo.
ShelterBox already has aid available in strategic locations around the world: including Belgium, Ghana, Panama, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Philippines, Kenya, and Pakistan.
The move to pre-position stock in Barbados comes a year after Hurricane Beryl devastated parts of the Caribbean. ShelterBox supported thousands of people uprooted from their homes in Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada with tents, solar lights, mosquito nets, and kitchen sets.
Climate disasters are getting worse, with storms getting stronger, droughts getting longer, and floods getting heavier. In many countries, repeated displacement is becoming the norm with people facing one crisis after another.
“Pre-positioned aid allows us flexibility to respond in areas vulnerable to extreme weather,” adds Mr Redman.
“It has worked well for us in places like Mozambique where climate change is making storms more severe. In July 2024, we moved aid ahead of the annual cyclone season and stored it with our partner CARE Mozambique.
“It meant when Cyclone Chido struck in December, we were able to distribute emergency shelter aid to thousands of affected people within days.”
ShelterBox specialises in emergency shelter and essential aid to people displaced by disaster and conflict around the world. It also supports affected communities with training and cash assistance. Since 2000, the charity has supported over 3 million people in around 100 countries recover from disaster and conflict.