Santo Domingo, 11 November 2023.  - Twenty-one diverse professionals hailing from Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Washington D.C. were brought together by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Caribbean Coordination team to undergo the Emergency Response and Induction Training (ERIT) from 7-10 November 2023 in the Dominican Republic. This intensive four-day training aimed to strengthen the capacity of the trainees to serve on deployments in response to disasters. 

The ERIT was delivered by a team of 8 diverse and experienced IOM trainers with a plethora of knowledge and years of experience in their respective subject matter.   The sessions were conducted over a four-day period and focused on the following areas: 

1. Understanding the context and IOM’s operational frameworks in emergencies 

2. Managing operations and program support planning  

3. Managing operations and resource management 

The participants themselves came equipped with a wealth of their own knowledge and experience that enriched the learning environment and fostered a collaborative spirit among participants.   

In addition to the theory, participants were afforded the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained through an emergency simulation activity.   

At the end, participants were able to receive high quality training, participate in interactive group sessions and receive links to additional resources.  Further to this, they were also able to gain valuable insight into the complexities associated with emergency response and understanding the needs and requirements of affected populations.  

This training was undertaken with internal IOM funding from the Migration Resource Allocation Committee (MIRAC), and has not only added to the Organization’s pool of competent personnel but has increased the capacity of diverse Caribbean professionals in responding to disasters. Additional training be made available to expand and build upon the knowledge gained, with the overall objective of making emergency responses more coordinated and essentially more effective in contributing to the resilience of the Caribbean island-states and people.