Germany unveils national crisis plan
AAP on August 24, 2016, 9:34 pm
Germany has told its citizens to stock up on water and food in the event of a terrorist attack or national catastrophe and may even consider reintroducing conscription in its first overhaul of civil defences in two decades.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved the 70-page plan at a time when Germans are particularly on edge after two Islamist attacks in July and several much larger-scale attacks in France and Belgium this year.
The German word for stocking up on provisions in case of an emergency is "Hamsterkaeufe" and some media have mocked the plan for encouraging Germans to hoard like the small, furry pets.
Although the report was commissioned in 2012, security is shaping up into a major campaign issue before two regional votes next month and next year's federal election. Proposed measures include boosting spending on police and a ban on the burqa.
The strategy unveiled on Wednesday outlines precautionary steps for scenarios such as terrorism and chemical weapons and cyber attacks. The Interior Ministry says it is not linked to an immediate threat.
"The plan outlines the framework for adjustments needed in a changing security climate and the demands for civil defence and emergency provision," said the report, last published in 1995.
It recommends people buy five days' worth of water and ten days' worth of food in the event of a national crisis. It also outlines the need for a better alarm system, improved protection for buildings and medical care.
