Caribbean disaster managers are urging governments to shift from using schools and community centres as emergency shelters and invest in purpose-built facilities designed to safely accommodate vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, as storms grow more severe.

Programme manager for preparedness and response at the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Mandela Christian, made the call on Monday as the European Union-funded Resilient Caribbean project opened a train-the-trainers workshop at the UN House.

The €1.1m ($2.5m) project supports 13 CDEMA-participating states by strengthening the region’s disaster preparedness, collaboration, and response capacities, and ensuring inclusive support for the most vulnerable populations.