Germany: Major boost for civil defense

"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 2200 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."

"The basic idea for this concept has existed since 2007 but has since been developed many times. 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. But Germany's lack of crisis preparation had already been exposed during the Ahr Valley flood catastrophe of July 2021, when 135 people were killed in"

Germany plans to decide on civil defense measures at the next cabinet meeting, setting aside 10 billion euros for use by 2029. The funding includes procurement of about a thousand specialized 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 a 500 million euro budget and about 2,200 staff, supported by around 88,000 volunteer helpers. The Medical Task Force (MTF) will be expanded, and more than 50 locations across Germany will be prepared to respond to sudden mass-casualty events. The measures are framed as a response to growing hybrid threats, including from Russia.

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