Sweden has started distributing five million copies of the pamphlet “If Crisis or War Comes” to households nationwide, advising on emergency preparedness.
Produced by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, this 32-page booklet covers responses to threats like military conflict, cyberattacks, natural disasters, and terrorism. It includes practical advice on storing non-perishable food and ensuring water supplies.
The agency highlighted an increased emphasis on preparation for potential military conflict in this latest edition, distributed in both Swedish and English, with digital versions available in multiple languages, including Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, and Somali.
“The security situation is serious, and we all need to strengthen our resilience to face various crises and ultimately war,” said MSB director Mikael Frisell.
Former army chief Micael Byden echoed this call in January, urging Swedes to mentally prepare for possible conflicts.
“Swedes have to mentally prepare for war,” he said.
Across the border, Finland has also stepped up its crisis preparedness efforts.
The Finnish government launched a new website on Monday, designed to centralise information on handling different types of emergencies.
This move came as Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, looks to bolster public readiness in light of regional tensions.
Both Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades-long military non-alignment to join NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
