During the last two years, experience has shown us that disasters and crises in the region have increasingly taken a regional dimension, for instance the recent floods and drought in the Horn of Africa, the Avian Influenza and the Tsunami that affected coastal countries along the Indian Ocean. Operating agencies in the region now recognize that greater planning and response coordination is required to prepare for, and address, recurring emergencies.

The Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Disaster Preparedness provides a forum for regional organisations – international NGOs, the Red Cross and UN Agencies – to enhance information exchange and regional coordination in order to respond to emergencies in a timely and cost efficient manner. The IAWG seeks to improve the capacity of the members to prepare for and respond to emergencies in the East and Central Africa region through developing IAWG coordination mechanisms and training. The increased collaboration between partner organisations, fostered by the IAWG, recognizes that the efforts of individual organisations can and should complement each other in emergency response. The group also seeks to strengthen the support that can be offered to country counterparts by participating regional organisations.