Romania’s Court of Auditors has issued a damning report on the state of the country’s civil defense shelters, revealing that they are critically inadequate, outdated, and largely unfit for use. Many remain at a “1970s level” of infrastructure and fail to meet modern sanitary or safety standards.
“Since Romania has not faced armed conflict situations, these shelters have never been used for their intended purpose. As a result, most of them fail to meet sanitary requirements, are unfit for use, or have been repurposed by owners as storage facilities. In some cases, modifications have rendered them non-compliant with shelter regulations,” the report states.
The audit found that only 3.21% of Romania’s population (611,922 people) can be accommodated in specially designated shelters. Including alternative spaces such as subway stations and underground parking garages, coverage increases to 5.19% (989,507 people).
Despite over 5,000 locations being officially listed as shelters, more than 50% have been deemed unfit for use. Additionally, local authorities lack an up-to-date registry of available civilian shelters.
The report attributes these failings to legislative gaps and inadequate oversight by local authorities, citing issues such as:
-
The absence of a single governing body responsible for shelter maintenance.
-
Weak penalties that fail to compel property owners to maintain shelter facilities.
The findings underscore an urgent need for reforms to improve Romania’s emergency preparedness and civil defense infrastructure.
