Ministry Reports 324 Schools in 7 NTT Regencies Damaged by Earthquake

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has reported that 324 schools in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have been damaged by an earthquake. The affected schools are spread across seven regencies.

“Based on data as of 16 August 2026, 324 educational units in seven regencies have been reported as affected by the earthquake,” the ministry stated in an Instagram post seen on Tuesday (18/8/2026).

The ministry noted that the data remains provisional, with assessment efforts still ongoing. “Data collection and damage management continue to be carried out to ensure that needs on the ground can be addressed promptly,” it said.

A total of 50 tents have been erected to serve as emergency classrooms. In addition, the ministry has dispatched thousands of family and school kits to the affected areas.

“As initial support, Kemendikdasmen has prepared 50 tents for emergency classrooms, 1,300 family kits, and 1,500 school kits in the first shipment. Kemendikdasmen has also prepared psychosocial support and connectivity support through Starlink,” the ministry stated.

Meanwhile, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti said he has visited schools affected by the earthquake. He expressed his deepest condolences and has communicated with the Governor of NTT to ensure that aid distribution is properly targeted.

“A team has already been deployed to the field and is directly providing assistance to the community, particularly in education,” he added.