Mental Health Support for Children Prioritized After 7.7 M Earthquake in NTT
- 19 Agt 2026 12:06 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
- Psychosocial support has become an important part of the emergency response for children affected by the magnitude-7.7 earthquake in NTT.
- Children are encouraged to read, play games, listen to stories, and sing to reduce anxiety and help them express their emotions.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Restoring children’s mental well-being has become a key focus of the emergency response following a magnitude-7.7 earthquake in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Through a mobile library and a range of interactive activities, volunteers are working to prevent prolonged trauma and help children in evacuation shelters continue to feel safe and cheerful.
Acting head of the Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Berton SP Panjaitan, said psychosocial support services at the Samador Sports Hall were being provided through collaboration with the Sikka Regency Archives and Library Agency. The facility, which has been converted into an evacuation site, is being used to support earthquake survivors.
“In addition to receiving basic necessities, evacuees are also receiving psychosocial support through trauma-recovery activities and a mobile library. The presence of these facilities reflects special attention to children who must carry out their daily activities at the shelter,” he said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
He explained that the mobile library vehicles provided a range of educational reading materials so children could continue learning and engage in positive activities while staying at emergency shelters.
In addition to reading, the children were invited to take part in interactive games, listen to stories, and sing with the support team. The activities were intended to help them express their feelings while easing anxiety caused by the earthquake.
Berton emphasized that disaster-response strategies should not focus solely on distributing physical aid and logistical supplies. The psychological and social recovery of vulnerable groups, including children, must also be prioritized so they can continue to feel safe during the emergency-response period.
“Through collaboration among various parties, psychosocial support services are expected to continue as long as residents remain in evacuation shelters,” he said, as quoted by Antara.
The BNPB reported that preliminary data showed more than 5,000 residents had evacuated, either independently or to designated shelters. Most left their homes after the buildings sustained light to severe damage in the magnitude-7.7 earthquake.
Data collected by a joint team of officials in the field showed that at least 914 houses had sustained severe damage, 126 moderate damage, and 317 minor damage as a result of the earthquake. Severe damage also affected dozens of public facilities, including 93 educational facilities, 36 health facilities, and 38 administration offices.
As of Monday, August 17, 2026, a total of 68 people had been reported dead. They comprised 26 people from Manggarai Regency, 24 from East Manggarai Regency, eight from Nagekeo Regency, four from Sikka Regency, two from Ende Regency, two from West Manggarai Regency, and two from Ngada Regency. In addition to the fatalities, the BNPB recorded 213 people who had sustained injuries. ***
News Recomendation
Memuat berita terbaru.....