With children
- Each child's health or vaccination booklet
- Nappies and spare clothes
- Special baby food, if needed
- A few toys
Nationaal Crisiscentrum: source
Belgium
Belgium's emergency kit, item by item
Belgium's National Crisis Centre asks every household to keep an emergency kit that lets you manage on your own for at least 3 days (72 hours), with 3 to 10 litres of water per person per day. Its list is on crisiscentrum.be.
Read6 min read
Updated11 Nov 2026
TopicHour zero
Official sources2
The Belgian answer
At least three days. The Nationaal Crisiscentrum (NCCN, part of the Federal Public Service Home Affairs) writes: "72 uur: binnen de hele Europese Unie raden we iedereen aan om een noodpakket in huis te hebben waarmee je minstens 3 dagen (72 uur) zelfstandig verder kan." In English: across the whole European Union, we advise everyone to keep an emergency kit at home that lets you carry on by yourself for at least 3 days (72 hours).
It adds that the kit need not be expensive: most of it is already in your home, and you can build it up step by step. We read the page and its brochure on 11 November 2026.
Two parts, two jobs
The Crisis Centre splits the kit in two.
- A backpack or bag you can grab and take if you have to leave quickly.
- A supply at home for when you have to shelter indoors, or go a while without electricity, water, phone or internet.
The home supply
Kept together in a fixed spot everyone in the house knows.
| What | What the Crisis Centre lists |
|---|---|
| Water | 3 to 10 litres per person per day |
| Food | Long-life food you can make without water, gas or electricity: tinned meat or fish, tinned vegetables or pulses, nuts, dried fruit, crackers, energy bars |
| Tin opener | A tin opener (the brochure also accepts a pocket knife) |
| First aid | Bandages, plasters, compresses, scissors, tweezers, safety pins, painkillers, disinfectant |
| Hygiene | Tissues, wet wipes, toilet paper, sanitary pads, hand gel |
| Iodine tablets | Free from your pharmacy; take them only when the government says so |
| Light | A torch, preferably wind-up; with batteries, keep spares |
| Radio | Wind-up or battery-powered; the brochure prefers one with DAB+ and FM |
| Fire | A lighter or matches, candles or tea lights |
| Warmth | Blankets |
| Children | Baby food and nappies |
| Pets | Food, water and bowls, enough for 72 hours |
Source: Nationaal Crisiscentrum and the brochure Samen voorbereid (PDF). Checked 11 Nov 2026.
Water for a family of four, 3 days
36 to 120 litres
4 people×3 days×3 to 10 L
The Belgian range
3 litres is just enough to drink and cook, the brochure says. Store more to wash and, if needed, flush the toilet.
3-10 Lper person, per day
1.5-2 Lwhat an adult drinks a day
1 Lper person in the grab bag
Water for your household
Three days at the low and the high figure.
| People | 3 days at 3 L | 3 days at 10 L |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 L | 30 L |
| 2 | 18 L | 60 L |
| 3 | 27 L | 90 L |
| 4 | 36 L | 120 L |
| 5 | 45 L | 150 L |
| 6 | 54 L | 180 L |
At 3 and 10 litres per person per day (Nationaal Crisiscentrum). The water calculator works out a figure for your home.
The grab bag
Keep it light: no tins in the bag, the Crisis Centre says. If you evacuate, you go to friends, family or a reception centre that provides food.
- Copies of important documents, such as insurance contracts, and a copy of every ID card.
- A list of phone numbers: family, friends, your gas, water and electricity suppliers, your alarm company, your GP, your insurer.
- Pen and paper.
- A little cash for about 72 hours of basics, without keeping large sums at home.
- One or two small bottles of water, about a litre per person.
- Biscuits, energy bars or nuts.
- Basic first aid, and a reserve of any medicine you need for at least 72 hours.
- Tissues, sanitary pads, toothpaste, a toothbrush.
- A phone charger and a charged power bank.
- A multi-purpose pocket knife and a whistle to show rescuers where you are.
Children and pets
Two lists to add to the grab bag.
With pets
- Medicines or a medication list
- Pet passport, vaccination booklet, your vet's details
- A recent photo of your pet
- Two bowls, some food, poo bags, a few toys
- A collar or chest strap and a lead; a carrier near the bag
Nationaal Crisiscentrum: source
Numbers to know
From the Crisis Centre's brochure.
| Number | For |
|---|---|
| 112 | Urgent help: ambulance, fire brigade and police |
| 1722 | Non-urgent fire brigade help (or online at www.1722.be) |
| 1733 | The GP on duty |
The brochure also asks you to sign up for BE-Alert, the government's warning system, and to download the free 112 app in advance.
Questions people ask
How many days does Belgium recommend?
At least 3 days, or 72 hours, which the Crisis Centre says is the advice across the EU.
How much water per person in Belgium?
Between 3 and 10 litres a day. For a family of four over three days that is 36 to 120 litres.
Should I keep my kit in the cellar?
The Crisis Centre warns that cellars and garages are more likely to flood. Pick a dry, easy-to-reach place.
Can a building share one kit?
Yes. The page suggests that blocks of flats, student houses and co-housing make one together, for example in a shared room or the cellar.
Do I need iodine tablets?
They are on the home list, free at the pharmacy. Take them only on the government's instruction.
Read next
Sources
- Nationaal Crisiscentrum: Een noodpakket bij je thuis The 72 hours, the home supply, the grab bag and the 3 to 10 litres. Checked 11 Nov 2026.
- Nationaal Crisiscentrum: brochure Samen voorbereid (PDF) Water use, the radio, storage tips and the emergency numbers.