Information verified on 13 November 2026.
Who is responsible for emergencies in Egypt?
The Ministry of Interior runs the police emergency line 122 and Civil Protection, reached on 180 1. At government level, crisis and disaster risk reduction is the job of the Crisis, Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Sector of the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) 4. The telecom regulator, NTRA, allocates the emergency numbers 2. Weather warnings come from the Egyptian Meteorological Authority 8.
Egypt at a glance
| Topic | What Egypt publishes | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency supplies | No official list, number of days or litres of water | Emergency supplies |
| Kit | No official kit list | Kit |
| Alerts | No cell broadcast 3, no published siren code; weather warnings 8, air-quality forecast, water-cut notifications 7 | Alerts |
| Public shelters | No public list, count or locator | Public shelters |
| Iodine tablets | No nuclear plant in operation; 4 units under construction at El Dabaa 5; no public iodine advice | Iodine |
| Private shelters | No rule found requiring or permitting one; no shelter standard | Build a shelter |
| Emergency numbers | 122 police, 123 ambulance, 180 Civil Protection 12 | Emergency contacts |
| Water | Who supplies tap water, water-cut notices, scarcity | Water |
| Air quality | The black cloud, the 3-day forecast, what to do | Air quality |
Which numbers should I know?
122 for the police emergency line (Shurtat al-Najda), 123 for an ambulance and 180 for Civil Protection, which handles fires and rescue 12. The regulator NTRA also lists 112 for police services 2. NTRA lists other, non-emergency numbers: 121 for the Ministry of Electricity, 125 for water emergencies, 129 for gas emergencies and 126 for the tourist police 2. Full list: Egypt emergency contacts.
How will I be warned?
Not by a text alert on your phone: the ITU's October 2026 review places Egypt among the Arab states where a national cell-broadcast service is still at the "initial engagement" stage 3. No national siren code is published either. In practice, official warnings come from the Egyptian Meteorological Authority's "weather warnings" section and Facebook page 8, from the HCWW 125 water app, which notifies planned and unplanned water cuts 7, and, during pollution episodes, from the media 6. Details: Egypt emergency alerts.
What should I do during the "black cloud"?
The Ministry of Environment says children, older people, pregnant women and sick people should stay indoors during an acute pollution episode, windows should be closed, and outdoor sport avoided 6. Its full advice and the 3-day forecast are on Air quality in Egypt.
What supplies should I keep?
Egypt sets no official quantities. Because water cuts are announced through the HCWW 125 app so that people can arrange their water needs 7, a stock of drinking water is the most practical reserve. For the volumes other agencies use, see How much water per person per day? and What goes in a 72-hour kit?.
Frequently asked questions
What is the emergency number in Egypt?
There are three: 122 for the police emergency line, 123 for an ambulance and 180 for Civil Protection (fire and rescue) 12.
Does Egypt send emergency alerts to phones?
No national cell-broadcast system is in operation; the ITU lists Egypt at the "initial engagement" stage in October 2026 3.
Does Egypt have a nuclear power plant?
Not in operation. Four reactors are under construction at El Dabaa, with 4,400 MW(e) of net capacity according to the IAEA 5. See Iodine in Egypt.
Does Egypt have public bomb shelters?
Phaenyx found no official list, count or locator of public shelters. See Egypt public shelters.
Sources · 8
- Ministry of Interior, Egypt (archived copy of 7 Feb 2026; moi.gov.eg does not answer outside Egypt) · أرقام الخدمات الجماهيرية (Public service numbers) checked 2026-11-13
- National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egypt, presentation hosted by the ITU · Emergency Numbers (Regional Standardization Forum for the African and Arab Region, Dubai, 22 October 2019) checked 2026-11-13
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU) · Cell Broadcast for Early Warnings in the Arab States (ITU Partner Brief, Early Warnings for All, October 2026) checked 2026-11-13
- Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), Egyptian Cabinet · مذكرة مفاهيمية حول ورشة عمل المشاورات الوطنية (concept note, Crisis, Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Sector) checked 2026-11-13
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) · PRIS country statistics: Egypt checked 2026-11-13
- Ministry of Environment / Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (archived copy of 13 April 2026) · التأثيرات الصحية: كيفية التعامل مع نوبات تلوث الهواء الحادة (Health effects: how to deal with acute air pollution episodes) checked 2026-11-13
- Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) · تطبيق HCWW-125 (HCWW 125 app) checked 2026-11-13
- Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) · الهيئة العامة للأرصاد الجوية (home page: weather bulletin, weather warnings) checked 2026-11-13