Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on the Path to Recovery with support from UNDP, Canada and CDEMA

March 27, 2026

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES – Over the past 16 months, Global Affairs Canada has been supporting the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with post Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with CDEMA, under an extension of the recovery component of the Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER) Project.

The support focused primarily on capacity development in disaster preparedness, as well as the procurement of equipment and supplies for primary and secondary schools in the Grenadines. Main activities included:

Disaster Management and School Safety Workshop: A two-day workshop was held on 4 – 5 November 2025 at the Tobago Cays Marine Park Office in Union Island for teachers and disaster committee members from Union Island and Mayreau. The workshop was a joint venture with the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, through the School Safety Unit within the Ministry of Education, and focused on building the capacity of the school community to better prepare, respond and cope with a range of hazards.

Presenter in red at a podium addresses an audience in a small room with Canada banner and map.

People seated around tables in a conference room, a speaker at a podium near a screen.

Group of people posing on outdoor steps beside banners near a building with green columns.

Procurement of equipment and supplies for affected schools in the Grenadines: Schools receiving the equipment were Paget Farm Primary, Mayreau Primary, Union Island Secondary, Stephanie Browne Primary and Mary Hutchinson Primary. The cost of the equipment amounted EC$385,000 and included computers, computer chairs, office chairs, refrigerator, air conditioners, projectors, printers, desks and chairs, flash drives, garbage bins, markers, papers amongst others items.

Two people pose holding a boxed product — UNDP Cluster Lead for Prevention, Recovery and Resilience, Elizabeth Charles-Soomer, with Hon. Terrance Ollivierre, Minister of Higher Education, Grenadines Affairs, Local Government, Airports and Seaports and Area Representative for the Southern Grenadines during the handover ceremony..

Agency for Public Information (API)

Training in Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) was conducted with a focus on the housing sector, alongside the validation of a Housing Sector PDNA Guidelines. This was done at Frenches House on 19 - 20 March, during which 32 workers from government and statutory bodies were trained in the PDNA process, which is a multi-sectoral assessment tool used to estimate damages, losses, and recovery needs following a disaster, as well as enhance coordination among stakeholders. The training concentrated on the housing sector, which sustained the greatest damage during the passage of Hurricane Beryl.

Large diverse group posing for a photo in a conference room with a blue backdrop.

Group of people seated around blue-clothed tables in a conference room, presenter at front.

These investments have strengthened local capacities and positively impacted lives and livelihoods, ensuring a gender-sensitive approach and focus on vulnerable groups. They continue the impact made under the EnGenDER project, which was implemented from 2019 – 2024 by UNDP in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, CDEMA, World Food Programme and UN Women. They demonstrate the Government of Canada’s steadfast commitment to help Caribbean communities recover, strengthen resilience, and prepare for future hazards.