The government will spend 12 million euros on new and existing shelters in Vilnius next year, Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said on Thursday as she presented plans for the shelter development in the Lithuanian capital.
“As far as 2025 is concerned, 12 million euros are earmarked specifically for the installation and improvement of shelters,” Bilotaitė told reporters on Thursday.
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas says his municipality is ready to shelter the entire population of the city. “If necessary, we could shelter two cities like Vilnius underground,” Benkunskas said.
The Interior Ministry has set a target that 40 percent of the population in the country’s district municipalities should be protected in shelters in case of danger, 60 percent in urban areas, and the overall national average would be 50 percent.
Among other things, a dedicated hotline for civil protection advice has been in operation in Vilnius since October.
In mid-July, the Lithuanian parliament approved the Interior Ministry’s initiated Civil Protection Strengthening and Development Programme, which includes installing new shelters, warning systems and developing a special app. The programme will get 285 million euros in funding.
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