The Greenland government has encouraged citizens to ensure they can be self-sufficient for five days in the event of a crisis by stockpiling food, medicines, ammunition and fishing equipment.
In an 11-page manual released yesterday, households were offered “practical and simple advice” about how to respond in a crisis including guidance on drinking water, food, medicine, heating, communication and care for special needs.
Among the items the citizens are encouraged to monitor are “firearms, ammunition and fishing equipment” since hunting can be a source of food in a crisis.
The manual also recommends ensuring access to three litres of water per person per day and stocking up on foods such as dried meat and fish, as well as canned goods.
According to the government, work to revise preparedness advice for Greenlanders began last year against the backdrop of a series of long-term and short-term power outages.
The manual was launched on the same day that President Donald Trump ruled out a takeover of Greenland by military force during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, but doubled down on his intentions to annex the territory.
Peter Borg, Greenland’s minister for fisheries, hunting, agriculture and self-sufficiency, said the manual is “not an expression of anticipation of a crisis”, but rather to strengthen the “overall preparedness” and security of society.
The advice states that if households can take care of themselves for five days, the authorities can focus on helping “the most exposed” and “normalising the situation”.
Following Trump’s statements at Davos, Greenlanders have expressed a sense of uncertainty about their future. Nuuk residents told The Independent that they do not trust the US President and are living under a cloud of worry.
Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, (National Organization for Greenlanders in Denmark) said Greenlanders have been sleeping “with their boots on” since Trump announced his intentions to acquire the territory.
She added: “They have to find their weapons, their rifles. They have to be ready to take care of themselves for five days.
“This is a new era now and we need to be ready.”