UK urges households to stockpile food, water

• Households are being advised to keep three days’ worth of bottled water and non-perishable food at home.
• Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that cyberattacks by hostile states or criminal groups could disrupt supply chains and supermarket payment systems.
• The government says the guidance also covers natural disasters, including severe storms, flooding and wildfires.

The UK government has urged households to keep emergency supplies at home amid concerns that cyberattacks, extreme weather and other crises could disrupt essential services.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced the initiative on Thursday, Oct. 22, as part of a new national resilience campaign encouraging the public to prepare for emergencies that could affect access to food, water, electricity, communications and other everyday necessities.

Under the government’s updated Be Ready guidance, households are advised to keep enough bottled water and non-perishable food to last three days. The recommendations also include having a torch, spare batteries, a battery-powered or wind-up radio, a first-aid kit and some cash available in case electronic payment systems become unavailable.

Streeting warned that increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks could target businesses and critical infrastructure, potentially disrupting supply chains and access to essential goods.

He also raised the possibility of hostile state actors or terrorists causing interruptions to everyday services, asking how households would cope if supermarket payment systems stopped working.

The government has stressed that the campaign is intended to encourage practical preparation rather than cause alarm. The advice is designed to help people manage temporary disruptions while emergency services prioritise those most in need.

The initiative will run for three years, with more than 500 organisations, including charities, businesses and community groups, involved in sharing preparedness advice. The government has also encouraged eligible households to register for the Priority Services Register, which helps utility companies identify customers who may require additional assistance during an outage.

The government said the three-day preparedness recommendation brings Britain into line with European countries including France, Ireland and the Netherlands, which have similar guidance.

Officials have acknowledged that not every household will be able to obtain all the recommended supplies immediately, emphasising that people can build their emergency kits gradually and take the steps that are practical for their circumstances. 

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