text: for instance, be very effective in saving fives which vould. otherr.rise be Lost tofal-l-out in a limited attack against hard targets. on the other ha:rd, it wouldbe far less effective in a war involving strikes against industry in cities, oragainst the civilian popu.lation as such. This holds true for non-nucf ear-weaponstates as well as nuclear-r^reapon states in a nucfear war. Even in countries whichdo not themselves come rurder a nuclear attack, civil defence would te needed to dealwith fallout frora large numbers or' nuclear explosions in neighbouring countries. Civil d.efence rnethods 265 ' The two means rnost conmonly considered for protecting the popuration fromnuclear-weapon effects are evacuation and sheltering. EVacuatioir it populationfrom areas expected- to cone under attack has to be planned very carefiliy inadvance. Apart from transportation and housing of evacuees, this plarning nustinclude at least short-terrn provisions for the relocated population. rnformationand instructions to the general public would have to be issued in advance. EVenif instructions were available, however, the executlon of an evacuation wouldprobably be accomlan ied by confusion and panic. Large_scale evacuation istherefore, in most cases, no attractive option. 267 - To start an evaclration too early would rnean an unnecessary disruption ofeveryday activities; to start too late would rorsen the prospects for thoseevacuated., as their I'ulnerability would be highest during the transfer phase.fhe very fact that an evacuation had started might even precipitate the attack,and there is also the possibility of targeting the refocated. population. Theseconstraints are valid in €ry t].pe of r,rar, but in a nuclear 1,rar they vould be noresevere. rn additionn there is the particular problen of radioactive farlout, asavailable radiation shielding can generally be expected to be inferior in rura]areas. Furthermore, the locatian of serious fal-l-out areas carnot be predictedin advance.
analysis: The text discusses the effectiveness of civil defense measures, specifically evacuation and sheltering, in the event of a nuclear attack. It highlights the challenges and limitations of evacuation, including the risk of confusion, panic, and potential targeting of relocated populations. The text also touches on the issue of radioactive fallout, which is a major concern in the context of a nuclear war. Given the focus on civil defense and the potential consequences of a nuclear attack, it is likely that the text is related to the field of humanitarian aid and relief.