Aruba strengthens crisis preparedness with Kingdom support

ORANJESTAD – The Government of Aruba is continuing to strengthen its preparedness for possible crisis situations with support from the Netherlands and cooperation within the Kingdom.

Prime Minister Mike Eman received a delegation led by John van der Zwan, which presented the results of recent work aimed at improving Aruba’s preparedness, coordination and response capacity.

The initiative began during a period of heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States, when the government considered it important for Aruba to be prepared for different scenarios. At Eman’s request, the Netherlands provided additional expertise and knowledge in crisis management.

During his stay, Van der Zwan worked closely with CMO and local professionals. Together with Joke Vroegop and Johnson, an Aruban professional working for BZK, he presented the recommendations resulting from the process.

Eman stressed that Aruba already has a strong reputation for preparedness in exceptional situations, but said the work is never finished.

“We may be well prepared, but there is always room for improvement,” Eman said. He emphasized that the community, institutions and professionals must train and prepare together so that a crisis does not come as a surprise.

The next phase will focus on implementing the recommendations and further strengthening coordination, training and rapid response among the various partners.