Germany beefs up civil defense

Germany plans concrete civil defense measures at a cabinet meeting, allocating 10 billion euros for implementation by 2029. The funding includes procurement of about a thousand specialty vehicles. Roughly one third of the money is earmarked for modernizing buildings of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), along with personnel and technology for the agency. The THW currently operates with about 500 million euros in budget and around 2,200 staff, supported by about 88,000 volunteer helpers. The plan also expands the existing Medical Task Force (MTF) and prepares more than 50 locations across Germany to respond to sudden mass casualty events. The measures are framed as a response to growing hybrid threats, including from Russia.

"A package worth 10 billion ($11.6 billion) will be set aside for civil defense to be used up by 2029. "That includes, among other things, a thousand specialty vehicles which will be procured," Dobrindt's spokesperson announced. About a third of the money is earmarked for modernizing buildings belonging to the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), as well as personnel and technology for the federal agency."

"The THW currently has a budget of about 500 million and about 2,200 people on staff. It also involves about 88,000 volunteer helpers. The speaker could not say whether other relief organizations such as the Red Cross would also receive a share of the government support."

""Hybrid threats, also from Russia, are growing and accordingly something must be done here and that is exactly what we are doing now," the spokesman said. According to the statement, the existing Medical Task Force (MTF) will be expanded and more than 50 locations across Germany will be prepared to respond in the case of a sudden mass casualty event."

"Following Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in violation of international law, what then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) proclaimed a turning point, civil defense has been high on the political agenda. Germany's lack of crisis preparation had been exposed during the Ahr Valley flood catastrophe of July 2021, when 135 people were killed in t"

Read at www.dw.com