Ministers Visit NTT to Oversee Earthquake Relief Operations

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is accelerating aid to earthquake‑affected areas in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) by dispatching supplies and essential support.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has mobilized assistance valued at IDR 4.518 billion (approximately USD 253,420), including 48 tons of rice.

Deputy Minister of Social Affairs, Agus Jabo Priyono, departed for the affected region on Saturday evening, August 16, from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta, to ensure emergency operations meet community needs. His deployment follows instructions from President Prabowo Subianto.

“Per the President’s orders, we are deploying emergency measures. We will meet the community’s needs, from logistics and fuel to electricity, communication networks, and other basic facilities,” Agus Jabo said.

The Ministry began mobilizing aid on Saturday afternoon as part of the emergency response. Assistance focuses on meeting basic needs, including food, evacuation tents, clothing for adults and children, and other emergency supplies.

Agus expressed hope that aid dispatched from various locations would arrive quickly so it can meet the needs of affected residents. The government is coordinating with ministries, agencies, and local administrations in NTT to ensure effective distribution and on‑the‑ground operations.

“We will likely travel by land from Ende to Nagekeo, as the situation there is quite severe. We will also visit other locations if possible,” he said.

To date, the Ministry has mobilized disaster relief supplies from multiple locations with a total value of approximately IDR 4.518 billion. The aid is being distributed to support response efforts in several affected regencies.

From the Efata Center in Kupang, the center dispatched assistance valued at IDR 1.015 billion to Nagekeo Regency. The shipment includes folding cots, family kits, tarpaulins, blankets, adult clothing, family tents, children’s food, children’s supplies, and multipurpose tents.

Meanwhile, the NTT Social Affairs Agency warehouse has mobilized aid worth approximately IDR 541.6 million to support operations in Nagekeo, Sikka, Ende, and East Manggarai. Supplies include family tents, folding cots, mattresses, and multipurpose tents.

The Ministry’s central warehouse in Bekasi is also providing additional support. Two aid shipments valued at nearly IDR 3 billion are en route to the NTT Social Affairs Agency and the Efata Center in Kupang.

Supplies from the central warehouse include 6,000 ready‑to‑eat meal packages, tarpaulins, family tents, multipurpose tents, large command tents, mattresses, blankets, children’s food, clothing for children and adults, shower kits, and two sets of field kitchen equipment.

In addition to logistical aid, the Ministry has dispatched 48 tons of rice to help meet the food needs of communities affected by the earthquake.

Subsequent response measures will be determined based on on-the-ground needs assessments. The government is ensuring continued cross‑sector coordination to promptly meet needs for aid, basic services, and essential supplies in affected areas.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 05:58 a.m. local time. Shaking reached up to VII MMI in Aesesa, Nagekeo, and Riung. Most fatalities occurred in the regencies of Manggarai, East Manggarai, Sikka, Ende, West Manggarai, and Nagekeo.

The earthquake severely damaged hundreds of homes, places of worship, educational facilities, power grids, and healthcare facilities. Damage also affected terminal buildings at five airports, as well as the ports of Maumere and Reo. ***