Kuwait orders coops to secure food stocks, prepare 95 emergency shelters
. . . in the face of regional uncertainty
The Ministry of Social Affairs has instructed cooperative societies across Kuwait to ensure adequate strategic stocks of food commodities and essential consumer goods, while checking expiry dates and activating emergency plans amid regional tensions.
According to Al-Jarida, the ministry, through its Financial and Administrative Affairs and Cooperative Affairs Sector, has notified the boards of directors of cooperative societies of the need to maintain sufficient supplies and ensure the readiness of their central markets and branches to respond to any emergency.
The instructions follow directives from Social Affairs Minister Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah to ministry officials to ensure that all affiliated sectors and entities operating under its supervision remain prepared to activate emergency plans whenever necessary.
The measures are intended to maintain the continuity of essential services and ensure the availability of basic commodities under all circumstances. The ministry has also called on cooperative societies to prepare 95 emergency shelters located in schools across Kuwait’s six governorates.
The preparations are aimed at ensuring an organized and swift response should the shelters need to be activated. According to the sources, the ministry held a coordination meeting with the General Directorate of Civil Defense to review the readiness of cooperative societies and their emergency arrangements.
During the meeting, a proposal was made to add three new shelter locations to increase accommodation capacity and strengthen preparedness for possible developments. The 95 shelters are distributed across the six governorates, with 19 each in the Capital and Ahmadi governorates, 17 in Hawalli, 11 in Mubarak Al-Kabeer, 14 in Farwaniya and 15 in Jahra.
The ministry also requires cooperative societies to stock food supplies, including drinking water, snacks and other essential items, sufficient to serve around 400 people at each shelter.
Supplies must cover three meals a day. Charity organizations will be responsible for providing mattresses, blankets, pillows and other necessary furnishings in coordination with the relevant authorities.
The ministry said coordination with government agencies was aimed at clearly defining responsibilities, avoiding duplication and ensuring there are no delays when emergency plans are activated. It also stressed the importance of regularly monitoring inventory levels and consumption rates, while ensuring that supply chains, central markets and retail outlets remain operational.
Cooperative societies have been urged to maintain adequate stocks and ensure the uninterrupted availability of essential goods to meet the needs of citizens and residents, regardless of circumstances.
