The vast majority of people in Cyprus are completely unprepared for an emergency situation. This is according to data from the EU, which this week urged the population of the bloc to stock up for 72 hours and have some cash ready.

Most people – especially in the US – scoff at so-called "preppers", but unexpected emergencies are not without precedent in Cyprus: the Turkish invasion in 1974 and the displacement of tens of thousands; the power outages after the Mari explosion in 2011 and the banking crisis in March 2013, when people were unable to access their money for two weeks. Cyprus is also prone to earthquakes – the last major earthquake occurred off Paphos in 1996 with a magnitude of 6.8 – and is facing a new drought and further heat waves this year.

In addition to natural disasters and rumors of wars potentially fizzling out, cyberattacks, which this week are cited as one of the biggest risks globally and also by the EU, are among the risks that could literally bring everything to a halt.

The latter is an important part of the EU's preparedness plan.

Civil Protection spokesman Panayiotis Liassides told the Cyprus Mail that the EU had done the right thing in recommending that an emergency supply be provided for 72 hours.

"Yes, it is right for many reasons. This decision was not arbitrary. It is an international standard of best practice in the field of civil protection and crisis preparedness," he said.

Liassides added that the standards would be 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 preparedness of the population is necessary to maintain the functioning of society in the first hours and days after a serious crisis or attack. It is clear that the first phase of response is primarily based on self-protection and social cohesion, with the preparation of the population playing a crucial role," he said.

However, according to recent Eurostat data, only a very small percentage of Cypriots are concerned about cyberattacks, social unrest, health emergencies, serious industrial accidents, critical infrastructure disruptions or natural disasters other than forest fires.

"Extreme weather events such as violent storms, droughts, heat waves or cold waves are the most frequently occurring disasters in 15 countries," Eurostat said.

Despite the risks and precedents, Cyprus came in last place across the bloc when respondents were asked whether or not they agreed with the statement: "By preparing for a disaster or emergency, you will be able to deal with the situation better."

Only half of respondents in Cyprus "somewhat agreed", compared to 97% in Sweden and 75% in the EU as a whole. However, a total of 39 percent said that they had neither time nor money to prepare.

"At national level, there are significant differences between EU member states in terms of the capacity to provide meals to a household in the event of food transport disruptions due to a natural disaster or emergency," Eurostat said.

Slovenia and Malta are the only two countries where more than half of respondents say they can provide their households with meals for more than a week, followed by Sweden and Lithuania.

The EU average for four to seven days is 41 percent.

In Cyprus, only a quarter of the population could get meals for themselves for two to three days. The rest takes a day at most. The same minority could cover their water needs for four to seven days if the tap water supply were interrupted.

As far as the power supply of important devices and lighting in the house is concerned, 62 percent would be left in the dark at the end of the day because they had no alternative at hand.

At the same time, most respondents did not know where to turn for information and help, or they did not trust the authorities.

Around 40 percent would turn to the national media for information, and just as many to social media.

"Through up-to-date information from the media and social networks, as well as visits to schools, universities, kindergartens, local authorities, etc., efforts are being made to continuously improve the preparedness of citizens for disasters," Liassides told the Cyprus Mail.

In 22 Member States, at least half of respondents know how to be notified by the emergency services in the event of a disaster. The highest values are in the Netherlands and Finland at over 80 percent.

The EU average is 57 percent. In Cyprus, this figure is around 45 percent.

In Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden, emergency services such as police, fire brigades and civil protection are the most frequently mentioned sources of information on disaster risks.

The lowest value was recorded in Cyprus with only 19 percent. Distrust of the authorities and their explanation of the risks was very high in Cyprus at 64 percent.

In the EU as a whole, around a third of respondents said they had agreed with family and friends on how they would contact each other in an emergency. In Cyprus, on the other hand, only 9 percent said they had such a plan.

In Finland and Sweden, at least one in five respondents had taken part in a training or exercise to learn how to react in an emergency. In Cyprus, the figure is as high as one in ten.

 At the national level, we see some notable differences between EU member states. In all Member States, more than half of respondents would rely on people in their neighbourhood in an emergency.

In Cyprus, it was the other way around, with more than 65 percent of respondents "least inclined" to rely on the help of people in their neighbourhood in an emergency.

"The survey suggests a significant dependence on emergency services," Eurostat said of the EU population as a whole.

In light of the findings, the report concludes that there is clearly an opportunity to improve preparedness measures for individuals and households across the bloc, where there are differences depending on the perceived threat or its magnitude.

"In Finland, for example, over 90 percent of respondents have a flashlight or candles at hand, while in Italy and Poland less than one in three," it says.

Even the most frequently chosen item, a flashlight, is not chosen by the majority of respondents. In addition, only 15 percent of respondents have five or more preventive measures, and 31 percent have only one.

Cyprus has a number of contingency plans in place, including for a cyberattack that would cripple electronic communications and potentially bring the country to a standstill.

"The Civil Defence calls on all people to inform themselves about all dangers and self-protection measures. The better informed and prepared people are, the better they can help their compatriots and vital services cope with the consequences of emergencies," Liassides said.

"In emergencies, it is also very important to avoid panic and dubious sources of information and to follow the instructions of the services."











Author:
Jean Christou