When authorities are unsafe to approach
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If contacting an official could expose you or your family to harm, prioritise immediate physical safety and use trusted private contacts or independently verified humanitarian and local legal support when safe. Do not publish sensitive locations or confront armed personnel. Keep essential documents and a realistic shelter or relocation plan.
Save the essentials.
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Act on immediate danger. Seek qualified help when reachable and safe, but do not make your first protective step depend on a response. This page is general guidance, not a live alert.
Do now.
- 01
Assess the actual threat
Separate verified incidents and direct threats from rumours. Think about who can access your location or information and whether a call, visit or public post could increase exposure.
- 02
Identify independent support
Find humanitarian or local legal contacts through their own websites or a trusted existing relationship. Verify a contact through a second channel before sharing sensitive details.
- 03
Limit unnecessary exposure
Share your location and travel plans only with people who need them. Review location sharing and account access; do not assume an app or a private message guarantees confidentiality.
- 04
Prepare essential records
Keep identification, medicines, written contacts and copies of necessary documents accessible. Store backups securely without exposing other family members.
- 05
Choose a practical safety plan
Agree where the household can shelter, who can host you and how to reconnect if separated. Avoid confrontational actions that increase immediate danger.
PLAN AROUND WHAT YOU HAVE
If help is unavailable.
If no safe support channel is available, keep the family together in the safest reachable place and reduce unnecessary travel and disclosure. Reassess opportunities using verified information rather than a promised rescue.
People & practical needs.
Assign a trusted adult to each person who needs assistance. Keep medicines, essential contacts and a workable reunion plan with the group. Make decisions around the least mobile person, not the fastest; avoid splitting the family without a clear, safe way to reconnect.
Keep essentials within reach
Keep essential medicines, safe drinking water, a battery light, footwear, phone power and written contacts accessible. Carry only what you can manage; collecting supplies must not delay escape.
Next steps.
Qualified local advice matters because legal protections, detention risks and available services differ. Independent support may also be unavailable; build the plan around the resources you actually have.
Watch for.
This page cannot guarantee privacy, legal protection or safe passage. Do not record, photograph or document an incident if doing so increases immediate danger.
Sources & context.
Osprey Zero combines source-based protective guidance with practical household planning. References provide context, not a promise of assistance. Some standards are U.S.-based; local risks, laws and services differ.
Updated 2026-10-02. Editorially reviewed against linked references; not independently certified by a subject-matter expert. Verify changing conditions through sources safe for you to contact.