UK residents urged to keep three days of food and water

The UK government has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign called “Be Ready” to strengthen the public’s resilience to natural disasters, sophisticated cyberattacks and potential disruptions at critical infrastructure facilities.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing Turkish broadcaster Haber Global, that the UK government has urged people to take personal preparedness measures in case of emergencies.

The campaign recommends keeping at least a three-day supply of drinking water — 3 litres per person per day, or 9 litres in total — as well as non-perishable food, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a blanket, cash and a battery-powered radio.

Official bodies have said that a crisis could disrupt electricity, water supplies, mobile communications and internet services, as well as cause serious interruptions to supply chains.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting addressed modern security risks facing the country in a speech at a defence industry facility in Telford:

“Natural disasters, sophisticated cyberattacks and state-backed hybrid threats are not hypothetical; they are real. Russia and other hostile states could target the critical infrastructure that supports our citizens’ daily lives. These threats are no longer in distant parts of the world; they are directly confronting our society. Families and businesses should plan in advance how they would respond in a crisis,” the minister said.

Speaking on the BBC programme “Question Time,” Streeting added that the government’s main aim was not to frighten people but to raise awareness and preparedness, while seeking to prevent panic at home.

UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis, in turn, said that individual preparedness measures would reduce the burden on rescue and security services. Jarvis noted that similar crisis-management campaigns have also been introduced in European countries such as France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

The public awareness initiative comes amid the discovery of a critical vulnerability in the PHP programming language that was identified globally. In response to the vulnerability, 32 government service portals in the UK were temporarily suspended as a precaution.