Cyprus Mail 30 March 2025 - by Jean Christou
The EU came out with a plea this week for its citizens to be prepared for an emergency
The vast majority of Cypriots are woefully unprepared for an emergency situation, according to data from the EU which this week urged the bloc’s population to stockpile 72 hours of supplies and have some cash on hand.
Most people scoff at what are known as “preppers” – in the US especially – but unexpected emergencies are not exactly without precedence in Cyprus: the 1974 Turkish invasion and displacement of tens of thousands; the rolling power cuts after the Mari explosion in 2011, and the banking crisis in March 2013 where people couldn’t access their money for two weeks all spring to mind. Cyprus is also earthquake prone – the last biggest one being a 6.8 off Paphos in 1996 – and is facing a new drought this year along with further heatwaves.
Aside from natural disasters and rumours of wars that may yet come to nothing, one of the biggest risks being cited globally, and by the EU this week are cyberattacks where literally everything could come to a halt.
Thie latter forms a big part of the EU’s preparedness plan.
Civil Defence spokesman Panayiotis Liassides told the Cyprus Mail that the EU was right to recommend 72 hours of emergency supplies.
“Yes, it is right for many reasons. This decision was not arbitrary. It is an international standard of good practice in the sector of civil protection and preparedness for crises,” he said.
Liassides added that the standards are adopted by the UN, Nato and civil defence organisations in the US, Canada and Scandinavian countries.
“Social resilience is a pillar of European security. The population’s readiness is necessary to maintain the functionality of the society during the first hours and days after a serious crisis or attack. Also, it is clearly stated that the first phase of response is based primarily on self-protection and social cohesion, where preparation by the public plays a crucial role,” he said.
Yet, according to recent Eurostat data, very low percentages of Cypriots are worried about cyberattacks, civil unrest, human health emergencies, major industrial accidents, critical infrastructure disruption or natural disasters other than wildfires.
“Extreme weather events, like violent storms, droughts, heatwaves, or cold waves, are the most frequently experienced disasters in 15 countries,” Eurostat said.
Despite the risks and precedents, Cyprus came bottom across the bloc when respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed that: “By preparing for a disaster or emergencies, you will be able to better cope with the situation”.
Only half of those surveyed in Cyprus “somewhat agreed” compared to 97 per cent in Sweden and 75 per cent across the EU, though 39 per cent overall said they didn’t have the time or money to prepare.
“At the national level, there are substantial differences between EU member states in terms of capacity to provide meals for the household in the event of food transportation disruptions due to a natural disaster or an emergency,” Eurostat said.
Slovenia and Malta are the only two countries where more than half of respondents say they could continue to provide meals for their household for more than a week, followed by Sweden and Lithuania.
The EU average for four to seven days is 41 per cent.
In Cyprus, only one quarter could provide meals for two to three days. The remainder, one day or less. The same minority would be able to meet their water needs for four to seven days if tap water services were interrupted.
As for providing power to essential appliances and home lighting 62 per cent would be left in the dark at the end of the day not having any alternative on hand.
At the same time, most of those surveyed either would not know where to turn for information and help or did not trust the authorities.
Around 40 per cent would turn to national media for information and the same number to social media.
“Through updates from the media and social media, as well as visits to schools, universities, nursery schools, local authorities etc, efforts are being made to continuously improve citizens’ preparedness to deal with any disaster,” Liassides told the Cyprus Mail.
In 22 member states, half or more of respondents know how emergency services will alert them in the event of a disaster, with the highest levels being in the Netherlands and Finland at more than 80 per cent.
The EU average is 57 per cent. In Cyprus this number is around 45 per cent.
Emergency management services, such as police, firefighters, and civil protection are the most mentioned source of information for learning about disaster risks in Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden.
The lowest score was registered in Cyprus at only 19 per cent. Distrust in public authorities to inform them on the risks was a high 64 per cent in Cyprus.
Also, across the EU, respondents who said they had agreed with family, friends on how to contact each other in case of an emergency was around one third of those polled but in Cyprus only 9 per cent said they had any such a plan in place.
Finland and Sweden were the member states where at least one in five respondents had participated in training or an exercise to learn how to react in an emergency. In Cyprus that figure is one in ten.
“At the national level we see some notable differences between EU member states. In all member states, more than half the respondents would rely on people in their neighbourhood during an emergency.”
In Cyprus this was the inverse with more than 65 per cent “least likely” to rely on people in their neighbourhood to help them in an emergency.
“The survey points to a substantial reliance on emergency services,” Eurostat said of the EU population as whole.
Given the findings, the report concludes that there is was a clear opportunity to improve individual and household preparedness measures across the bloc where differences were apparent depending on the perceived threat or level thereof.
“For instance, over 90 per cent of respondents in Finland have a flashlight or candles accessible, compared with fewer than one in three in Italy and Poland,” it said.
“Even the most widely selected item, having a flashlight, is not chosen by a majority of respondents. Furthermore, only 15 per cent of respondents have five or more preparedness measures in place, and 31 per cent have only one.”
Cyprus has a series of contingency plans including for a cyberattack that would knock out electronic communications and possibly grind the country to a halt.
“Civil defence would like to call on all people to be up to date regarding all dangers and measures of self-protection. The better informed and prepared people are, the better they will be able to help their compatriots and the vital services in addressing and managing the consequences of emergencies,” Liassides said.
“It is also very important in emergencies to avoid panicking and receiving information sources that are not trustworthy, and to follow the instructions of the services.”
