By Barbara Erling
WARSAW (Reuters) -Poland is preparing a manual on how to cope in case of war or natural disaster, an interior ministry official told Reuters, aiming to strengthen national resilience amid heightened regional uncertainty including conflict in neighbouring Ukraine.
The 40-page pamphlet, titled “Safety guide”, gives advice on getting clean water, responding to air raids or blackouts and locating bomb shelters, as part of the first public awareness campaign of its kind in Poland in decades.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly warned that the threat of a global war is serious and real, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine and allegations of Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks against the West.
Russia has repeatedly denied that it engages in sabotage or cyberattacks on other countries and says it has no intention of starting a war with NATO.
“Wars are not won on the front lines. The Ukrainian example shows it very clearly,” said Robert Klonowski, Polish interior ministry deputy director.
The booklet warns that during a crisis supplies of food, medicine, and gasoline could run short, the government said.
The booklet, which will be released online in September in Polish, will later be translated into English and Ukrainian, with plans to produce a Braille and children’s version, the ministry added.
Ministry plans to deliver printed copies to all 14 million households in Poland.
Poland, which borders Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, has been a leading voice calling for members of NATO to spend more on defence, and is itself allocating 4.7% of gross domestic product to boosting its armed forces in 2025.
(Reporting by Barbara Erling, Editing by William Maclean)
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