Foreign Ministry: National Capacity Maximised for NTT Earthquake Response, Foreign Aid Not Yet Needed

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has affirmed that the government is currently prioritising the use of national capacity and resources to address the impact of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Consequently, foreign assistance is considered unnecessary for the time being.

Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang explained that the government’s primary focus is ensuring all needs of affected communities can be met through domestic strength. “At present, the focus of the response is to ensure that the needs of affected communities can be fulfilled through the national capacity and resources we possess,” Yvonne stated during a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday (20/8).

Although the door to international assistance has not yet been opened, Indonesia continues to express deep appreciation for the attention and solidarity shown by friendly nations. Yvonne noted that many countries have offered assistance to help victims and restore the post-earthquake situation.

Foreign Minister Sugiono has reportedly communicated directly with several ambassadors of friendly nations to convey gratitude for their concern. “We consider this to be deeply meaningful for us during this difficult time,” Yvonne added.

Regarding the potential discussion of aid during the Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue (CSD) meeting between Foreign Minister Sugiono and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday (21/8), the ministry stated that the matter would be discussed further.

Previously, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian expressed his government’s willingness to provide assistance according to Indonesia’s needs, while confirming that several Chinese nationals were among those injured in the disaster.

According to the latest data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the death toll from the earthquake that occurred on 15 August has now reached 71 people. One additional fatality was recorded on Wednesday (19/8).

Acting Head of BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, explained that the distribution of domestic aid continues to flow steadily to the disaster site. As of Tuesday (18/8) at 18.00 WIB, total aid delivered had reached 398 tonnes.

Of that total, 165 tonnes of logistics were sent via air routes to expedite response efforts in hard-to-reach areas. The government continues to monitor developments on the ground to ensure the recovery period proceeds optimally through independent means.