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Interior Ministry: Proposal for Shelters to be Submitted to Next Cabinet

Published March 6, 2026, 14:32
Interior Ministry: Proposal for Shelters to be Submitted to Next Cabinet

The Minister of Interior will submit a proposal to the next Cabinet meeting to increase the number of shelters across Cyprus. The proposal, which has been in development for months, aims to cover 45% of the population. It stipulates that every new apartment building should allocate its basement as a shelter to Civil Defense, with a toilet and drinking water, receiving an additional 5% as a building factor (maximum 50 sq.m.) as an incentive. The proposal follows an inspection of the condition of the shelters by 90 people, after the May audit. The political head of the Ministry expressed his dissatisfaction with the sampling nature of the May audit and is trying to improve the situation. The requisitioning of shelters is not considered effective in peacetime. In the event of an alarm, the public is asked not to move towards the shelters to avoid congestion on the roads and to follow the five instructions of the Ministry of Interior, as well as the protocols applied by schools and hospitals. Information will be provided via SMS, sirens, bells, and door-to-door information, while hotels and accommodations will be used for tourists. There are technical difficulties with one provider that holds 10% of the market, while 1/4 of subscribers are prepaid card holders. Residents who live in one province but work in another will receive a message in the affected province. Subscribers will receive the message in the language they have declared to their provider.