April 27, 2022 - An estimated 2.8 million people or nearly 40 percent of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean is food insecure, 1 million more than in April 2020, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Severe food insecurity continues to increase in the region with the current figure 72 percent higher when compared to April 2020. Highlighting the lasting impact of the pandemic, two years in, the results demonstrate deteriorating food consumption and diets with 25 percent of respondents eating less preferred foods, 30 percent skipping meals or eating less than usual and 5 percent going an entire day without eating in the week leading up to the survey.
  “Having the opportunity to assess how the pandemic has impacted the livelihoods and food security of more than 20,000 respondents across the past two years has provided the CARICOM Secretariat with invaluable data that is being used to inform regional priorities in the short and medium term,” said Shaun Baugh, Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development Programme Manager at the CARICOM Secretariat. High food prices continue to affect people’s ability to afford a nutritious diet with 93 percent of respondents reporting higher prices for food compared to 59 percent in April 2020. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine is expected to create an even deeper impact on the cost of basic goods and services in the Caribbean. “An import dependent region, the Caribbean continues to feel the socio-economic strain of COVID-19 which is now being compounded by the conflict in Ukraine. With most COVID-19 assistance programmes having concluded, many families are expected to face an even greater challenge to meet their basic food and other essential needs in the months to come,” said Regis Chapman, WFP Representative and Country Director for the Caribbean Multi-Country Office. “In the short to medium term, it is increasing pressure on governments to identify solutions to ensure families can meet their essential needs. Innovation in agri-food systems and regional supply chains, coupled with continued support to the most vulnerable households, will be essential to improving the resilience of regional food systems so that prices can be kept as stable as possible.”  Along with the latest survey results, an interactive dashboard allows for comparison between different survey rounds and across several countries. It also provides data on the impact of the pandemic on livelihoods, access to markets and food security by country in the Caribbean.  CARICOM, WFP and other partners continue to work together to increase resilience to shocks through stronger disaster management, social protection and food systems that are more effective, sustainable and responsive in meeting the needs of those most affected by crises.  The survey was supported by the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.                                                                                                            ******** The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of 20 countries: 15 Member States and five Associate Members, with the aims of promoting economic integration and cooperation in foreign policy, human and social development and security.  Caribbean economic integration, and cooperation amongst its members, including in foreign policy. For more information please contact: Carla Alleyne, WFP/ Caribbean 1 (246) 467-6085, 1 (246) 836-6111, Carla.alleyne@wfp.org Juliette Maughan, WFP/ Caribbean 1 (246) 467-6084,  Juliette.maughan@wfp.org    Shaun Baugh, CARICOM Secretariat (592) 22-0001 Ext 2244,  Shaun.baugh@caricom.org

After two years of virtual engagements, it was a delight to have members of the media come to the Resident Coordinator's Office for our first in-person event of 2022! The United Nations Communications Group hosted a day-long media seminar on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the work of the UN to support Trinidad and Tobago in achieving those goals. Resident Coordinator a.i., Dennis Zulu, told the journalists their efforts to inform the public about the SDGs and their role as a blueprint for development cannot be understated: The more context you have about the SDGs and T&T’s development path – where the country is along that journey and where it intends to go – the more knowledgeable the population will be, the more targeted the action they can take to play their role in advancing progress, and the more you can ask policymakers about the action they are taking to ensure development is fair, just, equitable and enjoyed by all, he said.  Journalists, producers and content managers from eight newsrooms across print, television, radio and digital attended the seminar. A total of ten UN agencies that operate in T&T delivered in-person and virtual presentations to explore the SDGs under their portfolios and the projects they have delivered to advance progress on these goals. UN Women, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) delivered presentations.\ The media practitioners who attended were: Nneka Parsanlal, Content Manager from LoopTT Achsah Gulston, Producer of the TV6 Morning Edition Soyini Grey, Producer of the CNC3 Weekend News Kimberly Ramkhalawan, Producer/Presenter at MCTV Rhianna Mckenzie, Reporter at Newsday Kay-Marie Fletcher, Reporter at the Trinidad Express Ardene Sirjoo, Host on i95.5Fm Stacy Ann Providence, Producer/Presenter at TTT  

On February 21st and 22nd, 2022, representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Port-of-Spain Office launched the 2021 Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Report and presented some of its key findings to members of the Government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Private Sector,  Academia and United Nations (UN) Agencies. The DTM is a global tool used in over 72 countries to track and monitor mobile populations, through the analysis of information which is gathered through sampling from a population(s) of interest. For Trinidad and Tobago, this fourth annual instalment of the DTM Report captured and processed critical multi-layered information on the mobility, vulnerabilities, protection concerns and cross-sectoral needs of displaced Venezuelan migrants and refugees currently residing in the country. The DTM continues to be a relevant exercise given the unprecedented flows of Venezuelan migrants and refugees into Trinidad and Tobago. This mechanism also provides decision-makers and responders with timely and consistent feedback on a range of thematic areas. Head of Office for IOM Port of Spain, Ms. Jewel Ali, during her virtual address to government partners at the launch of the DTM 2021 findings on Monday 21st February 2022, emphasized that: “the continued challenges resulting from COVID-19 create both a delicate situation for countries experiencing migrant flows as well as another layer of vulnerability for migrants. The DTM may help us in understanding some of the factors which shape migrants’ decisions and the mobility trends, which are equally important. In the humanitarian context, the understanding of mobility in situations of crises is a major priority. The design of more effective humanitarian operations therefore relies on successfully adapting assistance to the evolving needs of migrants and refugees. This information can also then help governments mitigate and/or address the social, health and economic impacts the pandemic is having on the migrant and host communities.”    Ms. Ali further noted that the DTM will continue to be an invaluable tool for governments, NGOs, and UN Agencies as they respond to the evolving needs of communities affected by the crises around the world. “As IOM, we encourage governments to use this and other information to integrate migrants into national emergency response plans and into social protection mechanisms.”       A total of 1,376 Venezuelan migrants, over the age of 18 years, participated in DTM 2021. The data reflected that 77 per cent of the respondents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, whilst 7 per cent had received one shot and 16 per cent were unvaccinated.      Moreover, it was revealed that 65 per cent of the interviewees experienced difficulties since the start of the COVID-19, with the major issue being worsened quality of food, and 66 per cent of the respondents lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Yet in spite of these circumstances, 57 per cent of the respondents received support primarily from religious organisations and international organisations.     The DTM also determined that 20.3 per cent of the respondents were engaged in domestic/ cleaning work, followed by commerce at 19.9 per cent, construction at 16.7 per cent, and tourism/hospitality/entertainment at 15.9 per cent.  In addition, it was noted that more than half of the instances of unpaid work (57 per cent) reportedly occurred in the construction sector, with the agriculture sector having the second highest number of incidents at 9.5 per cent. Further to this, 53 per cent of the interviewees were employed in the informal sector, 27 per cent of the respondents working in the formal sector and 37 per cent of the respondents working in the informal sector were underpaid. The data also informed that 51 per cent of the respondents felt discriminated against because of their nationality, which represented an eight-percentage points reduction from 2019 DTM.      The 2021 DTM exercise in Trinidad and Tobago commenced in August 2021 and was funded by the United States Department of State (USDOS) Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and managed by the IOM. Additionally, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) contributed financial and technical support to the initiative and has strategically collaborated with the IOM over the years. The DTM 2021 report for TT can be viewed at the following link: Trinidad and Tobago — Monitoring Venezuelan Citizens Presence, Round 4 (December 2021) | Flow Monitoring (iom.int).   --END-- For additional information, please contact the Reporting and Communications Officer at IOM Port-of-Spain, Ms. Kandy Serrant, at kserrant@iom.int  

The Government of Sint Maarten has become the latest signatory to the new United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (MSDCF) for the Caribbean for the years 2022 to 2026. The Framework will govern UN collaboration in the region for the next five years, support countries and territories to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and work on sustainable development in a way that leaves no one behind. The new cooperation framework was signed by the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, the Honourable Silveria Jacobs and Marina Walter, UN Resident Coordinator, during a virtual ceremony between UN House in Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of Sint Maarten on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Ms. Walter was joined by several members of the UN Country Team in commending the Government of Sint Maarten for its substantive contribution to the Cooperation Framework design process and for its strengthened and continuing partnership with the UN. In her remarks, Ms. Walter said, “the new generation Cooperation Framework ushers in a new era of the UN and the Caribbean working closely together. It signals an opportunity for development cooperation and provides a great platform for the UN to continue supporting the Government of Sint Maarten in achieving its Agenda 2030 objectives.” The Resident Coordinator reaffirmed the commitment of the UN to the Government of Sint Maarten achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals during the Decade of Action. Prime Minister Jacobs said, “Sint Maarten is very pleased with the leadership role the United Nations is taking in bringing the Caribbean countries together. This platform is crucial for knowledge exchange and transfer between Countries that are at the frontlines of climate change. It furthermore provides Sint Maarten with a stronger voice on an international platform like the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which could lead to opportunities that will assist Sint Maarten in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. I am grateful for Ms. Walter’s contribution as the UN Resident Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten, which has resulted in a greater understanding of our realities. I therefore look forward to participating in the UNGA 2022.” UNDP, UNEP, UN Women, IOM, FAO and ILO also participated in the signing ceremony, and offered congratulations to the Government of Sint Maarten, while giving assurances of their continued support. The MSDCF identifies four key priorities for achieving resilient sustainable development in the region: increased support to the economic resilience agenda; intensified efforts to ensure realization of human rights for all; strong commitment to enhancing inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; and scaled up support to ensure that Caribbean societies remain peaceful and just societies.