Conflict Zone Survival

Preparation Steps

• Register with your country's embassy if you are abroad. Use the STEP program (US citizens) or equivalent.
• Identify your nearest shelter. Basements, reinforced concrete buildings, and underground facilities provide protection from blast and shrapnel.
• Prepare emergency documents. Keep copies of passports, visas, and identity documents in a waterproof pouch.
• Know evacuation corridors. Stay informed about official evacuation routes and humanitarian corridors.
• Establish communication protocols. Agree on check-in times, meeting points, and a code word for danger with family.
• Reduce your profile. Avoid broadcasting your location on social media.

Immediate Actions

When conflict begins nearby:

1. Take cover immediately. Get below window level, move away from glass and exterior walls.
2. Go to your shelter. Basement or interior rooms far from windows.
3. Stay informed via official channels. Radio is most reliable when power and internet are disrupted.
4. Do not go outside during active shelling or firing.
5. If caught outside: Seek solid cover (concrete walls, ditches) — not cars, bushes, or wooden fences. Stay low.
6. If evacuation is announced: Follow official humanitarian corridor instructions exactly.

What to Avoid

• Do not approach military vehicles, checkpoints, or armed groups unless required.
• Do not photograph military positions, checkpoints, or personnel.
• Do not carry weapons if you are a civilian — it changes your status under international law.
• Do not stay near symbolic targets (government buildings, bridges, communications towers).
• Do not use your phone's light at night during blackouts.
• Do not spread unverified information — panic causes casualties.

Supplies Needed

• 72-hour go-bag (water, food, first aid, documents, cash, warm clothing)
• Battery or hand-crank radio
• Physical maps (digital may not work)
• Emergency contacts written on paper
• White cloth or flag (signal of civilian/non-combatant status if crossing checkpoints)
• N95 respirators (dust from destroyed buildings)
• Sturdy boots and protective clothing
• Flashlight with red filter (preserves night vision)

Recovery Steps

• Wait for official all-clear before leaving shelter or returning home.
• Check your home for structural damage and unexploded ordnance (UXO) before entering.
• Do not touch unknown objects on the ground — contact authorities immediately.
• Register with relief organizations (ICRC, Red Crescent, UNHCR) if displaced.
• Seek mental health support. Conflict exposure causes significant psychological trauma.
• Reconnect with family through official missing-persons registries if communication is disrupted.