NTT Governor: Development exhibition becomes platform to aid Flores earthquake victims
East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Melki Laka Lena has turned the NTT Development Exhibition 2026 into a platform for compassion and mutual cooperation to assist victims of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Island.
“We want to prove that from this development exhibition, our compassion and mutual cooperation to handle the disaster properly will still emerge,” he said in Kupang on Saturday.
He said the NTT Development Exhibition 2026, taking place from 15 to 24 August, carries the spirit of concern for the people of Flores affected by the earthquake.
“In the Flores earthquake disaster, we adopted this theme for this year’s development exhibition because many people outside have asked that the exhibition truly demonstrate concrete concern for the Flores earthquake,” he said.
The NTT Provincial Government, together with the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), SAR teams, local governments and other relevant parties, continues to coordinate to ensure that the emergency response is running well.
“For all communities affected by the disaster on Flores Island who need food, drink, tents, blankets and these are not sufficiently provided by the government for various reasons, please coordinate with shops and kiosks throughout the disaster-affected areas of Flores,” he said.
He said that the needs of the community taken from these shops and kiosks will be calculated and paid for by the government as part of its commitment to handling the Flores earthquake.
“This is part of our commitment to support the handling of the Flores earthquake since this morning,” he said.
He said the government, together with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) as well as all disaster teams, continues to move across a number of affected areas, including ensuring that residents whose homes are not yet safe can obtain a place to rest.
He said that based on data received as of Saturday evening, the largest number of affected victims is in Manggarai Regency, followed by East Manggarai, Sikka, Ngada and Nagekeo.
He added that the provincial government, together with Forkopimda and the NTT Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD), will return to a number of affected locations on Sunday (16/8) to ensure that disaster management is running well.
“Flores is part of us who are on Timor Island, on Sumba, in other regencies, and Flores can rise again, including with the support of all of us at this development exhibition,” he said.
Melki also said that the committee has provided a donation point in the exhibition area to collect public assistance during the event.
“Throughout this exhibition, the donations will be collected daily, announced, so that they become part of our public accountability for the implementation of today’s development exhibition,” he said.