Cyprus emergency kit list: the Σακίδιο Έκτακτης Ανάγκης

Cyprus's official emergency kit list is an infographic: the Σακίδιο Έκτακτης Ανάγκης or "emergency backpack", from Civil Defence, posted by the Ministry of the Interior in 2026. It is the shortest list among the 24 official guides we compiled. Here is what it contains and how to fill the gaps.

The official guide

A note on sources: the post is an image on X, which would not load for us when we checked in November 2026. Our item list comes from our earlier reading of that image. The graphic gives no quantities, so this page doesn't either.

What the list contains

We count 12 items in the Cypriot backpack:

• Drinking water
• A torch
• A battery radio
• Spare batteries
• A charged power bank
• Your medicines
• A first-aid kit
• A mask
• Cash
• A multi-tool
• A whistle
• The backpack itself

How it compares with the other guides

Short as it is, the list includes all six items that every one of the 24 guides agrees on: water, a torch, a radio, medication, a first-aid kit and cash. It also has the power bank and batteries that most guides add. Read that way, it is a sensible core.

What it adds

Nothing in the Cypriot list is rare across Europe, but two items are less common. Only six guides list a whistle, which is heard further than a voice and needs no power. Only nine list a mask, for smoke, dust or infection.

What it leaves out

Three items that most other guides list are missing:

• Candles, matches and a lighter, listed by 19 of the 24 guides.
• Blankets and warm clothes, listed by 18.
• Copies of your ID and documents in a waterproof pouch, listed by 19.

Treat the graphic as a starting point for a grab bag. It does not cover the supplies you need to stay at home for three days, or the amounts.

Filling the gaps

Water

The graphic gives no amount. Other European guides plan 2 to 3 litres per person per day, so a couple needs 12 to 18 litres for 72 hours. Our guide to how much water to store explains the sum and how to keep it fresh. In a Cypriot summer, aim for the top of that range.

Food

Choose food you can eat cold, straight from the tin or packet. 17 of the 24 guides list tinned food and 16 list ready-to-eat dry food such as crispbread, nuts and dried fruit. See emergency food that needs no cooking.

Documents and plans

Put copies of your ID, insurance and prescriptions in a waterproof pouch, and write important phone numbers on paper. Your phone may be flat or the network down. Agree a meeting place with your household too, in case you are apart when something happens and cannot call each other.

The bag

Keep the backpack by the door. Our grab bag checklist shows what else to put in it.

Keep it current

Pick two dates you will remember, such as when the clocks change in spring and autumn, and check your kit: expiry dates on water, food and medicines, batteries, and whether the power bank is still charged. Replace anything you have used or opened. If the graphic is updated, compare your kit against the new version.

Building your kit

Our checklist combines the Cypriot list with the 23 other official guides and works out the amounts for your household, so you can build the full 72-hour kit the graphic leaves out.