Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the 

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

The hurricane season normally starts on 1 June and ends on 30 November, though this varies by region - it begins in early May in Toledo and early June in Corozal. Historically, most hurricanes occur between August and October in Belize. Hurricanes form over a period of several days and even weeks. The path of the storm is tracked and predicted using the latest technology, which enables the areas to be affected ample time to prepare for the storm. Thanks to NEMO (National Emergency Management Organization), Belize has a thorough emergency plan ready to be enacted in the event of a hurricane.

It is difficult to predict how the storage and handling services will be affected by changes in weather patterns due to the reality of climate change. Not only have we seen a marked difference in the length of wet and dry seasons and when they occured during the year, but also we are noticing a more extreme weather behaviour in terms of flooding and drought with difficult to predict long term-effects of increasing average temperatures. 

The rainy season is determined by the first time after the 1^st of May in when there is more than an inch of rainfall in seven days with at least four days receiving some rainfall. The southern region has the most rainfall with a mean of 160 inches (4064 mm) per year; July is by far the wettest month there. In the central region are primary and secondary maxima occurring in June and September. Each of these is significantly less than the single maximum for the south. Data for the northern region show that rainfall is usually much less than the other regions; the annual mean there is only 60 inches (152 mm).

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

NEMO in cooperation with the respective Emergency Management Committees, and all Public and Private Agencies, is established to preserve life and property throughout the country of Belize in the event of an emergency and to mitigate the impact on the country and its people. The composition of NEMO comprises the Cabinet, with the Prime Minister as the Chairperson, the Cabinet Secretary, as Secretary, the NEMO Secretariat and the 13 Operational Committees (chaired by Permanent Secretaries).

The thirteen Operational Committees are as follows: Education, Communication and Warning, Medical & Public Health, Housing and Shelter, Search & Rescue, Economic & Recovery, Damage Assessment & Needs Analysis, Foreign Assistance, Transport & Evacuation, Environment & Utilities, Human Resources Management, Relief & Supplies Management, Restoration of Utilities and Mitigation, Access & Infrastructure. The other permanent members are the Belize Red Cross, the Belize Teachers Union, the Chief Meteorological Officer, the Commandant BDF and the Commissioner of Police. Integral to NEMO are its 9 District Emergency Committees (chaired by the senior Minister in each District) representing Belize, Corozal, Orange Walk, Cayo, Stann Creek, Toledo, Belmopan, San Pedro and Caye Caulker.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Belize Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community 

Listed below are the main humanitarian agencies conducting activities in Belize as well as their main projects.

Belize Red Cross

Belize Red Cross works within the International Red Cross Federation's Strategy 2020, which aims to save lives and strengthen recovery from disasters, and crises, enable safer and healthy living, and make better provision for marginalized people, promote social inclusion and contribute towards peace. Through its Disaster Management work, BRC employs its Community Disaster Response Teams to work with the National Emergency Management Operation (NEMO) and National Intervention Teams. In addition, BRC identifies and implements new approaches to community involvement in disaster management in community-based health first aid. It also has courses and training on prevention with respect to communicable diseases. As auxiliary to the Government of Belize in all humanitarian aspects, the Belize Red Cross fills the gaps in the National Systems and Action Plans.

BERT Belize Emergency Response Team

Belize Emergency Response Team (BERT) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. BERT specializes in pre-hospital care in the form of emergency response and transportation. It is the only qualified provider in the country.

Pickstock Development Association

The Association was formed in 2008 to bring the community together to address crime, poverty and underdevelopment. The work is divided in three categories. Firstly, it owns and manages The Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence. This Institute was established because of the community's desire for a safe space for their children to play, learn and catch up with their peers in education and development. Secondly, the Association engages the community in a deliberate process of consultation on development issues including priority social and infrastructural interventions, many of which have already brought some immediate relief to the neediest in the community. Thirdly, the Association provides opportunities for those in the community most at risk to engage in entrepreneurial, health and nutrition activities in an effort to improve their standards of living.

Bandage International

Bandage International is a group of emergency medicine professionals: paramedics, nurses and doctors, committed to teaching emergency health responders in developing countries. Their mission is to improve safety by guaranteeing primary emergency medical care. Current projects involve the improvementof the training of layperson first responders and professional emergency medical caregivers to improve the safety of the people.

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Belize Humanitarian Agency Contact List

The Belize Bureau of Standards is the premier service institution for standards and quality. Their mission is to facilitate, promote and encourage the use of quality services in metrology, standardization and conformity assessment thereby contributing to competitiveness of goods and services, facilitation of trade and the protection of consumers. The Belize Bureau of Standards shall provide internationally recognized services for domestic production and export markets. As an agent for trade facilitation, will therefore provide the highest professional services to satisfy the expectations, needs and demands of the people in Belize. 

http://www.bbs.gov.bz 

The Income Tax Department headquarters is located at the Charles Bartlett Hyde Building Belize City. Commissioner of Income Tax, Mrs Ann Castillo heads the Income Tax Department with a staff compliment of 144 countrywide. The operating activities of the Department was decentralized in 1983 with the establishment of five branch offices in Belmopan, Corozal, Dangriga, San Pedro and Orange Walk Town. All offices perform similar functions to those at the headquarters, which is divided into seven specialized sections namely Assessment, Collection and Enforcement Administration, Large Audit and Petroleum, Accounts, Information Communication Technology and Objections, Appeals and Training.

http://www.incometaxbelize.gov.bz

The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) is a statutory entity designed to modernize the Agricultural Health Services in Belize. It was established under the Laws of Belize “Belize Agricultural Health Authority Act, Chapter 211 of the Substantive Laws of Belize”. A Board of Directors governs BAHA, which is the policy-making organ of the authority, with representatives from both government and private sector. Their vision is to be trusted and respected Agricultural Health Authority that inspires confidence in the safety, wholesomeness and health of Belize’s agriculture, fisheries and food products. In addition, their mission is to serve Belize by ensuring safe and wholesome food, strengthening national food security, facilitating trade and commerce by providing efficient, competent and professional services to protect human, animals, plant health, animal welfare, and the environment.

http://www.baha.org.bz

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 

4.1 Belize Government Contact List

 4.3 Belize Laboratory and Quality Testing Companies Contact List

Duties and Tax Exemption

The role of the Belize Customs and Excise Department is to develop and implement an integrated set of policies and procedures that ensure increased safety and security, as well as developing the necessary platform to promote effective trade facilitation and revenue collection.

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow these links:

 www.customs.gov.bz

4.1 Belize Government Contact List

Emergency Response

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response): 

For UN agencies, when importing goods during non-emergency times, exemption is based on the United Nations Development Programme Standard Basic Assistant Agreement signed between the United Nations and Belize. The Belize-based UN agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF etc. (depending on whether it is food items or living supplies such as tents or netting) certifies the goods are for use within the terms of the agreement and affix the stamp of the organization, and an authorized signature is submitted on the Customs declaration, the exemption is granted.  

The Ministry of Finance is the Government department with responsibility for implementing its economic and fiscal policies and procedures, which include granting of duty exemption for humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid that is imported by the churches and other organizations (NGOs) for distribution to people in Belize are granted exemption by the Ministry of Finance.

The Customs Tariff and Trade Classification, Laws of Belize, Chapter 48 Section 3 (2) of 2013, Revised Edition2000 also contain a list of Conditional Duty Exemptions which are used when importing items such as humanitarian aid by the Red Cross (Conditional Duty Exemption No.14). It must be noted that the Red Cross must also get an approval from the Ministry Of Finance.

These NGOs and non-NGOs wishing to import humanitarian aid will need to submit a letter requesting exemption and in the body of the letter must state the description and quantity of items imported. The organization must submit a copy of legal certificate to operate as a NGO (whether it is a national organization or international donor)/non-NGO and must provide short explanation of the objectives of the organization.  

NGO’s that are allowed to operate as such within the country according to the Laws of Belize set out in the Non-Governmental Organization Act for Belize: http://www.belizelaw.org/web/lawadmin/PDF%20files/cap315.pdf  

In addition, the above section of the Laws of Belize also provides a list of goods that are illegible for conditional duty exemptions.

Obtaining Duty Free Status

Must apply in writing to the Ministry of Finance, and submit the list of the description and quantity of items.  Certificate of Registration, Letter from sponsor/ donor or importing organization stating objectives and nature of organization. Depending on the nature of the organization and use of the goods and what objectives the use of the goods are geared towards, will determine where the letter requesting exemption should be directed to, for example, pharmaceuticals need permit to import from the Ministry of Health.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure: 

Customs is a law enforcement agency.  Exemption is granted by the Ministry of Finance and application/ request is made to the Ministry of Finance.  Organization wishing to import items under exemption will need to submit a letter requesting exemption and in the body of the letter must state the description and quantity of items submit a copy of legal certificate to operate as a registered organization (whether it’s a national organization or international donor) and also must provide short explanation of the objectives and nature of the business.  

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Exemption is granted by the Ministry of Finance and application/ request is made to the Ministry of Finance.  Organization wishing to import items under exemption will need to submit a letter requesting exemption and in the body of the letter must state the description and quantity of items submit a copy of legal certificate to operate as a registered organization (whether it’s a national organization or international donor) and also must provide short explanation of the objectives and nature of the business.  

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

For humanitarian goods in terrestrial transit an authorized customs broker will require a customs declaration.  A customs transit declaration must be prepared by an authorized customs broker and the following must be attached: invoice, transport document, insurance certificate, transhipment certificate (in the form of a declaration that is stamped and signed by consignee/owner/ declarant) and if any other supporting documents such as export customs declaration from previous country.  Thereafter, a Customs Transit Document - T1 is created for the shipment.  This document requires a valid guarantee in the form of an insurance bond from the declarant in order for it to be properly processed.  The container is also sealed by customs.  In addition, a customs guard must escort the shipment from point A to point B.  When the shipment arrives at point B, the seal is verified if in tack and the T1 is closed.  When the T1 is closed this releases the guarantee/ bond that was put up for the trans-shipment. 

In the case of an in-transit shipment by sea where the cargo is not destined for Belize but will change vessel, it must be manifested as such.  Likewise,  A customs transit declaration must be prepared by an authorized customs broker and the following must be attached: invoice, transport document, insurance certificate, transhipment certificate (in the form of a declaration that is stamped and signed by consignee/owner/ declarant) and if any other supporting documents such as export customs declaration from previous country.  In this case, a Customs Transit Document - T1 is not created but it requires a valid guarantee in the form of an insurance bond from the declarant in order for it to be properly processed.