Human Initiative Prepares 14-Day Emergency Response for NTT Earthquake Victims

Human Initiative (HI) has prepared a 14-day emergency response to assist communities affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) on Saturday (15/8/2026).

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Manager of Human Initiative Deni Kurniawan said the response period is aligned with the applicable Emergency Response Decree. During this period, HI will concentrate aid in several earthquake-affected areas.

“We hope to reach the affected residents’ areas soon and that access opens up, so we can distribute aid to the severely affected points,” said Deni.

The areas of focus for Human Initiative’s response include Nagekeo, East Manggarai, and Manggarai regencies. Nagekeo is one of the priority areas as it is located near the earthquake’s epicentre.

Previously, a Human Initiative team arrived in NTT on Sunday (16/8/2026) after travelling from Jakarta. The team then conducted a rapid assessment to map the conditions and needs of communities in the affected areas.

The rapid assessment results formed the basis for distributing emergency aid to earthquake survivors in Mbay 1, Aesesa District, Nagekeo Regency. The aid distributed included food supplies, drinking water, as well as household and hygiene items.

The aid included instant noodles, drinking water, cooking oil, milk, sweet soy sauce, salt, laundry soap, and toothbrushes. The assistance is intended to help meet the basic needs of residents while staying at evacuation posts or during the emergency response period.

In the next phase of the response, Human Initiative has prepared a number of emergency aid programmes, ranging from ready-to-eat meals, food aid, hygiene kits, tarpaulins, to sleeping equipment.

In addition to the three areas in NTT, Human Initiative’s monitoring also covers the Selayar Islands in South Sulawesi. The team will conduct a rapid assessment to determine community needs and points requiring further handling.

Human Initiative has also prepared emergency communication access support through Starlink according to field needs. This support is expected to help the team reach and coordinate with affected areas experiencing communication access constraints.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck NTT on Saturday (15/8/2026). The epicentre was located approximately 30 kilometres northeast of Mbay, Nagekeo Regency, at a depth of 15 kilometres. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) subsequently lifted the tsunami early warning, while aftershock activity began to subside.

Nevertheless, the needs of affected communities remain a concern during the emergency response period. Human Initiative stated it will continue to monitor field conditions and direct aid to areas in need, particularly the most severely affected points.