Launch of the Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub and Centre of Excellence

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On May 26, 2025, the Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub and Centre of Excellence (HUB) was officially opened by the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Christ Church, Barbados. The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, was an honored guest and keynote speaker.

The HUB was developed under the guidance of the World Food Programme and its partners, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It will serve two critical functions. First, it will serve as a logistics warehouse to store disaster relief materials, equipment, and supplies in the Caribbean region, facilitating a swift response to natural disasters in the area. Second, it will serve as a center of excellence to train national disaster management bodies and humanitarian organizations, enhancing their disaster response capabilities.

The warehouse features 1,300 shipping pallet spaces and 9,000 square meters of floor space for material storage, with sufficient yard space to accommodate forty 20-foot shipping containers. This facility is a strategic asset in CDEMA's mission to address the severe weather challenges exacerbated by the climate crisis, which has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters.

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Elder Claude Gamiette, representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emphasized the Church's commitment to humanitarian efforts, stating that these facilities will provide crucial support in times of need.

To meet CDEMA’s mission objectives, it partnered with the Government of Barbados and the World Food Programme to develop a facility to store materials and train disaster relief organizations on how to improve response time for disaster relief. The facility was constructed in Barbados to be closer to the site of such events for donating organizations to store materials earmarked for distribution in the region.

Elizabeth Riley, CDEMA Executive Director, highlighted the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl just a year ago. She noted that even before the HUB's completion, parts of the facility were utilized to aid residents of Carriacou and the Union Islands, who were severely impacted by the July 1 storm.

In her keynote address, Prime Minister Mottley expressed gratitude to the Government of Barbados, the World Food Programme, and its partners for their role in developing the HUB. She underscored the importance of the HUB as a lifeline for those affected by increasingly severe weather events and praised the philanthropic work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She urged others to follow the Church's example and stressed the importance of self-reliance at individual, community, and national levels, which the Centre of Excellence will promote through education.

The event concluded with a plaque unveiling and reception.