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As people in the Caribbean and around the world take part in the festive season, the secretary general of the Caricom, Dr Carla Barnett, has reflected on the challenges the region has faced over the past year.

In her end-of-year message on December 22, she highlighted that the challenges have thrown people’s vulnerabilities into sharp relief and underscored the purpose and value of a united region.

She recalled the devastation caused in several member states by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, as well as by Hurricane Melissa this year, which left death and destruction in its wake in Jamaica and in Haiti.