Government Boosts Aid Distribution After NTT Earthquake

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government strengthens logistics distribution to reach areas that remain isolated due to damaged road access following an earthquake in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Vice Minister of Transportation, Suntana, said the government was preparing various modes of transportation to ensure affected communities continue to receive essential supplies.

Suntana made the statement while inspecting the condition of earthquake survivors at the Gelora Samador Post in Maumere, Sikka Regency, on Tuesday August 18, 2026. He said several areas remain difficult to reach because roads have been cut off, requiring mitigation measures and the distribution of aid through various routes.

“We will continue to ensure that the needs of this district are met. Earlier, I held an initial meeting to identify what is most urgently needed in this district,” Suntana said. He added, “There are also several areas that are completely isolated because the roads have been cut off.”

According to him, the government will deploy air, sea, and land transportation to deliver aid to areas that cannot yet be reached. “We will mobilize logistical transportation by aircraft and helicopters to deliver supplies to areas that cannot be reached because the roads are currently damaged, as well as by sea,” he said.

In addition to aircraft, helicopters, and ships, the government will also use land vehicles to support logistics distribution. Suntana emphasized that the mode of transportation would be adjusted to the access conditions in each affected area.

During the visit, the Ministry of Transportation also distributed assistance in the form of basic food packages, essential food supplies, and tents for earthquake survivors. The assistance is intended to support the basic needs of affected communities during the disaster response.

Suntana emphasized the government’s commitment to providing maximum assistance to affected communities until conditions return to normal. “In principle, members of the media, we will focus fully on responding to the situation and helping the people so that conditions can return to normal,” he said.

Logistics distribution will subsequently be carried out by air, sea, and land, taking into account access conditions in each affected area. The measure is expected to ensure that people in isolated areas continue to receive essential supplies throughout the disaster response.