Observer News Desk
As climate change continues to intensify the frequency and severity of hurricanes across the Caribbean, the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society (ABRCS) is taking proactive steps to ensure that it is better equipped/prepared and that communities can realisfinalisee greater resilience before disasters strike.
This commitment to anticipatory action was reinforced when ABRCS President Dr. Jose Humphreys and Ms. Charlton joined regional disaster management partners at an Early Action Protocol (EAP) workshop hosted by the French Red Cross’ Regional Intervention Platform for the Americas and the Caribbean (PIRAC) in Guadeloupe on August 17th to 20th, 2026. The St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society and the Dominica Red Cross Society joined the ABRCS in this workshop, a joint EAP approach given their shared risk profiles/exposure to cyclones.
The workshop brought together representatives from these National Red Cross Societies, PIRAC, 510 Global (an initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to finalize and validate a sub-regional initiative aiming to develop Early Action Protocols, which are pre-agreed plans that trigger specific, pre-funded humanitarian actions automatically when a forecast predicts disaster. In this way, aid reaches people before the crisis hits instead of after. During the workshop, participants also conducted a simulation exercise designed to test the activation process and strengthen operational readiness across the Eastern Caribbean.
“Climate change is making disasters more frequent and more intense, and we must be equally proactive in how we prepare for them,” said Dr. Humphreys. “The Early Action Protocol represents a significant shift from responding to disasters to anticipating them. By acting on credible forecasts, we can protect lives, reduce losses, and help communities become more resilient. I am very enthused about this initiative as it marks a significant shift in disaster management by focusing on action before impact rather than response after devastation. Through these forecast-based financing and pre-agreed triggers, the protocol enables humanitarian organisations like the ABRCS to mobilize resources and support vulnerable communities as soon as credible forecasts indicate a high likelihood of severe weather.”
The Guadeloupe meeting built on groundwork laid earlier this year when representatives from the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services, and ABRCS participated in a previous workshop hosted by the PIRAC/French Red Cross in St. Martin. That January gathering initiated discussions on forecasting systems, risk analysis, activation triggers, and coordination mechanisms necessary to implement anticipatory humanitarian action across the region.
A key feature of the Early Action Protocol is its use of scientifically based forecast triggers. Once activated, pre-approved funding is immediately released, allowing the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society to mobilize volunteers, issue targeted early warning messages, pre-position relief supplies, assist vulnerable households, and coordinate preparedness activities with national partners.
By acting before a forecasted hazard escalates into a crisis, communities are better positioned to safeguard lives, reduce losses, and recover more quickly.
As part of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, ABRCS plays a critical role in supporting communities before, during, and after disasters. Through its ongoing partnership with PIRAC, the IFRC, NODS, the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services, and fellow National Red Cross Societies across the Caribbean, the organization continues to strengthen national preparedness and resilience in the face of increasing climate-related threats.
The successful validation of the Early Action Protocol represents an important milestone for Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean, advancing a culture of preparedness that places communities one step ahead of disaster rather than one step behind it.
ABRCS Strengthens Hurricane Preparedness Through Regional Early Action Protocol Initiative
