The world prepares for apocalypse: why are countries recommending their citizens stockpile food?

35 years after the Cold War, the world is again preparing for disaster scenarios. Many Western countries have updated procedures and are calling on citizens to stockpile food, learning from the COVID-19 period and tensions with Russia, China, and Iran. The Pentagon's plan includes portable nuclear reactors at bases, and the UK launched the 'Be Ready' campaign for 72-hour preparedness.

35 years after the end of the Cold War, the world is again preparing for disaster scenarios. Many Western countries have updated their procedures and are calling on citizens to stockpile food, learning from the COVID-19 period and tensions with Russia, China, and Iran. The Pentagon's plan includes a portable nuclear reactor at each base capable of generating electricity, a stockpile of medical equipment and ammunition, minerals, and spare parts for 90-day survival. The UK launched the 'Be Ready' campaign at the end of October to encourage citizens to prepare for 72 hours of isolation, with a list of equipment including water, canned food, a flashlight, batteries, an FM radio, and cash. France distributed preparedness booklets, and Luxembourg distributed 300,000 booklets with warnings about infrastructure collapse. European concern about Russia since 2022 is clear, and many argue that the invasion of Ukraine is only the first stage. The article notes that disasters come in clusters, and a cyberattack that disabled refrigerators in Europe is a reminder of this. The central message: when the system is unstable, citizens' responsibility to help themselves allows the state to help those in need.