The main mission of the Civil Defense Force is the performance of various humanitarian tasks intended to protect the civilian population and help it recover from the immediate effects of hostilities or disaster as well as to provide the conditions necessary for its survival. The Civil Defense Force is organized by the establishment of civil defense units in almost all the urban areas and all the villages near the cease fire line. Most of the units are manned by conscripts and volunteers. Civil Defense members receive a basic training and are later trained and positioned in different divisions of the Civil Defense. These are the First Aid, the Telecommunications Section, the Welfare Section and the Fire Fighting, Rescue and the Neighborhood Watch Sections.
The Minister of Interior, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, is responsible for the implementation of the Civil Defense Law and the relevant Regulations and has the overall supervision and control of the Civil Defense System. He also undertakes the coordination of the services and organizations which are declared as “essential” for civil defense purposes. A few years ago the Government launched a major review of its civil protection system, beginning with the amendment of relevant legislation. The system relies heavily on contingency planning made by all the Vital Services and Local Authorities including civil defense, in order to cope with the effects of an emergency situation. Cyprus actively participates in the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism and harmonizes national policies and programmes with the European Acquis.
Source: Press And Information Office, Republic Of Cyprus, 2005