ABUJA, NIGERIA - The Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria, (CCFN), has joined other humanitarian activities organizations in the country to form Inter-Agency Emergency Preparedness and Response Working Group (IAEPRWG). The organization was recently inaugurated as a member of IAEPRWG and the UN-OCHA Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). The ultimate goal of the collaboration is prompt and effective response to the multiple crises affecting the Nigerian nation. It also has the mandate to ensure coherent and coordinated support to government`s efforts, consistently and timely respond to humanitarian crises. The activities of the group involves assisting in identification and undertaking of suitable measures to develop capacity for emergency response; establishing and operating surveillance; monitoring key emergency indicators; raising awareness to prevent risks; and undertaking risk reduction actions. The Inter-Agency EPR Working Group will provide a forum to support collaboration and coordination among the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the UN agencies, NGOs, Implementing Organizations, and the Red Cross movement in preparing for and responding to crises in Nigeria. This working group will become a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency umbrella under which all existing task forces/sectors concerned with disaster preparedness and response such as protection, temporary shelter, health and nutrition will work together to address identified issues. As part of the activities of the coalition, CCFN recently participated in the NEMA/OCHA/UNHCR validation report workshop for Disaster Risk Reduction/Emergency Preparedness and Response capacity assessment conducted at the request of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through NEMA. The purpose of the assessment was to identify the gaps and challenges the country is currently facing in fully engaging on preventing, mitigating and reducing natural disaster risks. The assessment was also an opportunity to clearly identify existing capacities both at national and state levels, to understand desired capacities, and to propose recommendations on how they can be further developed and strengthened. CCFN also participated in the recent joint UN/NEMA/INGOs flood disaster assessment conducted in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The body is also a member of the group of International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) working on the current Sahel Northern Food Insecurity Crisis. Presently, it is implementing an ongoing response to food insecurity in three communities in Sokoto state, and this will be extended to Zamfara, Katsina and Jigawa states later in the year.