Home Affairs Minister Ensures Central Government Support for NTT Earthquake Response
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has assured that the central government will continue to assist the Provincial Government of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and its communities in dealing with the impact of the earthquake. The government, he said, will mobilise support across ministries and agencies through to the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
“The central government will certainly not stand idly by. We will all work on this together,” Tito said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday (20/8/2026).
The statement was made by Tito during a visit to the Earthquake Emergency Response Post in Maumere, Sikka Regency. A number of ministers, agency heads, and directors of state-owned enterprises (BUMN) are said to have been on the ground since the first day after the earthquake to assist with disaster response.
During five days in NTT, Tito visited a number of affected areas to ensure that the response was running optimally. He also supervised Regional Transfer Funds (TKD) in regencies and cities across NTT to ensure that budget support was being used appropriately.
In a Coordination Meeting on Earthquake Response in the NTT Region held in a hybrid format from the Regional Secretariat of West Manggarai Regency on Sunday (16/8/2026), Tito said that the initial phase of the response was focused on rescuing victims and restoring basic services.
These services include electricity, telecommunications, the availability of fuel oil (BBM), and logistics. The government is also prioritising the treatment of injured residents and those who have died.
On the same day, Tito reviewed the post-earthquake response in East Manggarai Regency. The Ministry of Home Affairs also distributed aid in the form of tents, food, and ready-to-eat meals.
A day later, Tito led the 81st Anniversary Ceremony of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at Natas Lehong Field, East Manggarai Regency. He said that one of the purposes of establishing the state is to protect the entire nation and all of Indonesia’s territory, including protecting the public from the impact of disasters.
After the ceremony, Tito inspected the damage and met with residents of Satar Kampas Village, North Lamba Leda District. The area is said to be one of the regions that suffered quite severe impacts, so aid is being prioritised for that location.
The Ministry of Home Affairs handed over compensation of Rp15 million to the heirs of deceased victims. Other assistance in the form of two generator sets, 10 velbeds, and Rp200 million in cash was provided for two villages. Tito also gave personal assistance to SMP Abdurrahman Wahid.
Tito asked local governments to immediately complete the data collection on the impact of the disaster. The data collection should cover not only residents’ homes, but also places of worship, educational facilities, business premises, and various public facilities.
“The speed depends very much on the data collection. Once the data is collected, it reaches the Regent, and after that it is also signed by the District Police Chief and the District Attorney,” Tito said.
According to Tito, damage data is one of the keys to accelerating the distribution of government assistance. Accurate data is needed to determine the needs of the community as well as the division of support from ministries and agencies according to their respective authorities.
On Tuesday (18/8/2026), Tito moved to Ende Regency to evaluate the disaster response and inspect a number of affected locations. He also handed over compensation of Rp15 million to the heirs of deceased victims in Nangapanda District.