How much food and water to stock in Singapore?

Short answer. Singapore's Civil Defence Force (SCDF) gives two pieces of advice. At home, keep "a two-week supply of essential food items", such as rice, uncooked noodles and canned food ². For evacuation, keep a portable Ready Bag of essentials ¹². SCDF gives no quantities for the Ready Bag items and no official per-person water quantity ¹².

How long should supplies last in Singapore?

The SCDF Civil Defence Emergency Handbook (10th edition, 2026) recommends a two-week home stockpile of essential non-perishable food: "Keeping a two-week supply of essential food items like these can help you and your loved ones during a crisis or an emergency." ²

The Ready Bag is different: it is a portable bag to take with you when you evacuate. SCDF states no duration for it ¹².

What food does SCDF list?

The handbook illustrates the stockpile list with pictures. Three foods can be read from its text ²:

• Rice, for example raw or cooked instant rice.
• Uncooked noodles, for example pasta or instant noodles.
• Canned food, for example assorted cans of meat, vegetables and beans.

The handbook also advises rotating stocked items regularly and applying its "ABCs": Adapt, Buy a reasonable amount of non-perishable food, and Consume only what you need ². Our guide How long does emergency food last, and how do you rotate it? explains rotation in general terms.

How much water should I keep?

SCDF gives no official per-person water quantity ². The Ready Bag list includes bottled water and dry foodstuff as optional items, without a quantity ².

For wartime, the handbook says that if the water supply is disrupted, distribution points will be set up near homes, and residents should bring their own containers, for example pails and bottles ². For general figures used by other agencies, see How much water to store per person per day? and How do you make water safe to drink in an emergency?.

What goes in the Ready Bag?

SCDF splits the Ready Bag into essential and optional items ¹². The essentials are a torchlight, spare batteries kept out of the devices, personal medication and hand sanitiser, a waterproof folder of copied documents, a whistle, a first aid kit, childcare and special care items, and an N95 mask. The optional items are cash, a pocket radio, a pre-charged power bank, bottled water and dry food, spare clothing, and lists of essential service and personal contact numbers. The full list, line by line, is on Singapore's official kit list.

What happens to food in a wartime emergency?

The handbook's wartime chapter says food would be rationed with coupons, collected using a Registration Notice and the family's identification documents ². Keeping copies of identity documents in the Ready Bag's waterproof folder is on the official list ¹. See also Which documents and how much cash to keep for an emergency?.

Frequently asked questions

Is two weeks the official recommendation in Singapore?

Yes, for food. SCDF's 2026 handbook advises a two-week supply of essential food items at home ².

How many litres of water per person does Singapore recommend?

None. SCDF gives no official per-person water quantity ².

Should I panic-buy before a crisis?

The handbook's "ABCs" ask households to buy a reasonable amount of non-perishable food and consume only what they need ².

Where is the official list?

In SCDF's Ready Bag page and the Civil Defence Emergency Handbook ¹²; we reproduce it on the official kit list.

Sources

1. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) — Ready Bag for Emergency — https://www.scdf.gov.sg/home/community-and-volunteers/fire-emergency-guides/ready-bag-for-emergency (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) — Civil Defence Emergency Handbook (10th edition, 2026) – English — https://www.scdf.gov.sg/docs/default-source/comm.---volunteers-(docs)/2026-scdf-emergency-handbook(eng)_16-oct.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)