The government has issued guidance to households across the UK on how to prepare for emergencies, which includes stocking up on key items including bottled water
The government is urging households across the UK to stockpile essentials, including bottled water.
This year, the government announced that the UK must actively prepare for a ‘wartime scenario’ on British soil ‘for the first time in many years’. In the national security strategy, ministers stated that the UK now finds itself in “an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security”.
Recently, a key ally of Vladimir Putin has called for the “eradication” of a major UK city with nuclear weapons, in the latest chilling message from the Kremlin.
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Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian senator, has also warned that more than 20 British sites could be targeted for attack. Prominent TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who also advocates nuclear strikes, smirked and laughed on his nightly show as he called for Oxford and Cambridge to be bombed to decimate the British elite and their universities.
Ministers are increasing calls for society to become more resilient and plan to carry out a cross-government exercise on how to deal with crises – such as a future pandemic – later this year.
It’s not just about being prepared for widespread global conflicts, but also about readiness for any kind of large-scale disruption that could hit the country in the future, including mass power cuts, water shortages or extreme weather events, reports the Express.
The government’s UK Prepare website has issued a list of advice for all households in the UK to follow, aiming to ensure everyone has a safety net in case of unexpected national emergencies.
The site states: “Get prepared for emergencies. Emergencies happen every day in the UK and across the world. They can be caused by severe weather or other natural hazards, by deliberate actions, or as a result of accidents or infrastructure failure.
“They can be events that happen quickly and are over in a few hours, or they can develop and continue over the course of several days, months, or sometimes even longer.”
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In addition to advice on planning escape routes, gathering documents in a safe place and ensuring smoke alarms are functioning correctly, the government advice also encourages people to stockpile some key essentials, including bottled water.
It explains that the amount of water you’ll need varies depending on individual needs and circumstances, and whether you want to focus purely on drinking water or would also like some leeway for washing and cooking. The site advises: “Bottled water – there is no standard figure for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people use different amounts.”
“A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended by the World Health Organisation for survival. 10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs. Additional water might be needed to make up baby formula, for medical devices and for pets.”
The website also encourages individuals to stockpile ‘non-perishable food’ such as tinned meat, tinned fruit and vegetables, along with a tin opener, and pet food.
It further suggests that you can gradually build your reserves when you go shopping, stating: “Rather than buying all the items at once, you could just add to your emergency kit when you are able and build it up over time.”