Emergency relief personnel in Belize have been trained in the principles and protocols of warehouse management at a two-day workshop hosted by the National Emergency Management Organization(NEMO) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA).

The course that began on Thursday, February 16, 2006, included emergency relief warehouse managers and relief committee personnel with special responsibility for inventory management.

The course covered various aspects of warehousing including storage procedures, stock management, preservation and packaging, material handling, equipment requirements and truck loading. The workshop also considered warehouse management in the context of the Model Integrated Relief Programme developed by CDERA, which focuses on the development of a policy, plan and procedures for managing relief supplies to be used throughout the Caribbean.

This Warehouse Management Course is being conducted in all of CDERA 16 participating states as part of a wider Land-based Search and Rescue Project being implemented by CDERA and complements initiatives supported by the United States Southern Command (US SOUTHCOM). 

Funding for the course was provided by the Government of Japan through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security.