Crisis-Ready Society
Scenarios / Evacuation, conflict & unrest

War, air raids and sheltering

In a conflict, air raid warnings can come with little notice and services may be disrupted for days. This page covers civilian steps only: knowing your nearest shelter, packing for it, responding to official alerts and coping afterwards.

Depends on regional security
In the UAEThe UAE National Early Warning System sends alerts to phones in the country. NCEMA says the most important step is to read each alert and follow its instructions.[9]

Before

  • Find the shelters or protected spaces nearest your home, school and workplace.[1]
  • Learn your country's warning signals and what each one means.[2]
  • Pack a shelter bag with water, food, medicines, torch and phone charger.[1]
  • Keep at least a week of food, water and medicines at home.[3]
  • Get a battery, solar or wind-up radio so you can follow official news.[3]
  • Agree a meeting point with family in case phones stop working.[4]
  • Keep a paper list of key phone numbers in your kit.[4]

These steps come mainly from Sweden's civil defence brochure (MCF). In the UAE, follow official phone alerts and the UAE alert steps on this page. Check local rules before switching off air conditioning for long periods in hot weather.

During

  • When an air raid warning sounds, take cover at once in a shelter, cellar or basement.[2]
  • If no shelter is close, stay indoors in a room without windows.[2]
  • Go to the nearest shelter, as places are not assigned in advance.[1]
  • Bring your own food and hygiene items, since shelters do not supply them.[1]
  • For a public warning, go inside, close windows and doors and switch off ventilation.[2]
  • Stop and follow the instructions in any official phone alert.[5]
  • Expect water and power cuts and use your stored supplies.[1]
  • Share only information from official, reliable sources.[6]

If a UAE emergency alert sounds

At home or at work

  • Stop what you are doing and stay calm.[10]
  • Move away from windows, glass, balconies, rooftops and outer walls.[10]
  • Shelter in an interior room, hallway, basement, ground floor or under a concrete staircase, using stairs not lifts.[10]
  • Stay inside until officials announce the all-clear.[10]

In a mall or enclosed building

  • Move to interior areas away from glass.[10]
  • Follow the instructions of the building's safety staff.[10]
  • Use the stairs, not the lifts.[10]

Outdoors

  • Stay calm and avoid crowding or rushing.[10]
  • Go into the nearest safe building and follow its shelter procedures.[10]
  • Keep away from poles, billboards and glass.[10]
  • If there is no shelter, lie flat and cover your head, and your nose and mouth if there is dust or smoke.[10]

Driving

  • Slow down and stay alert.[10]
  • Shelter in a nearby building if you can, and do not stop in open or crowded areas.[10]
  • If there is no shelter, stay in the car with windows shut and the engine off.[10]
  • Do not share unverified photos or videos.[10]

After the alert

  • Check on your family and your surroundings.[10]
  • Stay away from suspicious objects or unusual smells and report them straight away.[10]
  • Follow official updates and return to normal activities gradually.[10]
  • Do not click unknown links or share personal details, and check messages are official before acting on them.[10]

After

  • Wait for the official all clear before leaving shelter.[2]
  • Keep following official radio and alert channels for next steps.[7]
  • Check facts with official sources before believing or sharing news.[6]
  • Check on neighbours and relatives and see whether they need help.[4]
  • Talk about your feelings with people you trust and return to routines slowly.[8]
  • Seek professional help if distress lasts more than two to four weeks.[8]
  • Restock your shelter bag and home supplies.[3]

Watch

Short how-to videos for this topic are being added to our channel.
Watch Crisis-Ready Society on YouTube

Official sources

  1. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): Good to know about civil defence shelters
  2. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): About the warning and information systems
  3. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): Basics of home emergency preparedness
  4. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): Access to communication during a crisis
  5. GOV.UK: Emergency Alerts
  6. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): Psychological defence
  7. Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency (MCF): Heightened state of alert
  8. UK Government (Prepare): Coping with trauma
  9. NCEMA (UAE): The National Early Warning System
  10. Gulf News (report of Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Centre guidance, updated 4 May 2026): Heard an emergency alert while shopping, driving, or out in public? How to respond immediately

Steps are written in our own words from these pages. If advice from your local authority differs, follow your local authority.

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