‘If a crisis or war comes’: Survival instructions booklets share Sweden, Finland, Norway

Millions of residents in the began today Monday 18.11.2024 to receive copies of an advisory leaflet preparing the population for how to react in case of other unexpected crises. The brochure entitled “if a crisis or war comes” and has been updated due to the deterioration, as the Swedish government calls it, of the security situation, referring to the war in Ukraine and the Russian invasion. It’s twice the number of pages. But also neighboring Finland published its own new advice online on “preparing for incidents and crises”. Norwegians also recently received a pamphlet urging them to be ready to make it alone for a week in the event of extreme weather conditions, war and other threats. In addition, during the summer, Denmark’s emergency management service announced that it emailed adult Danes with details about water, food, and medicine they would need to overcome a 3-day crisis scenario. The corresponding Finnish pamphlet on its part has a detailed section dedicated to the military conflict, and explains how the government and the president would react in the event of an armed attack, stressing that the Finnish authorities are “well prepared for self-defense”. Unlike Sweden and Norway, Helsinki decided not to print a copy for each house, as this would “cost millions” while a digital version could be more easily updated. “We have sent 2.2 million forms, one for each household to Norway,” says Tore Kamfjord, in charge of the “self-preparation” sector of Norwegian Civil Protection (DSB). Sweden joined NATO only this year, deciding that Finland would apply after Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022. Norway was a founding member of the western defence alliance. Cans, medicines and iodine tablets Lists of items that are based on the brochure must be kept at home, include long-term foods such as canned beans, energy bars and pasta, as well as medicines such as iodine tablets in the event of a nuclear accident. Oslo sent citizens an earlier edition in 2018, but Kamfjord estimates that climate change and the most extreme weather phenomena, such as floods and landslides, have increased risks. For the Swedes, the idea of an emergency leaflet is nothing new. A first edition of “If there is a war” was created during World War II and was updated during the Cold War. However, a message has been removed from the brochure: “If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information that they will argue will stop resistance is false.” The directives state what citizens should do in the event of several scenarios and ask them to make sure that they can protect themselves, at least initially, in the event of a crisis. The Finns face scenarios such as how they would face a situation without electricity for many days with winter temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius. The emergency list also includes iodine tablets, as well as easily prepared foods, pet foods and spare feeders. The Swedish list includes potatoes, cabbage, carrots and eggs along with canned bolognaise sauce and ready soups with blueberries and rose. One of the most important recommendations is that citizens retain enough food and drinking water for 72 hours. Information From