PALAWA Unpad distributes aid to earthquake victims in NTT

The PALAWA Unpad Student Nature Lovers Association (PMPA), together with the PALAWA Unpad Alumni Corps (KAP) and the Palawa Indonesia Foundation (YPI), has distributed aid to victims of the earthquake disaster in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The aid was delivered to earthquake victims at an independent evacuation site in Nangahale Village, Talibura District, Sikka Regency, Maumere.

Coordinator of the PALAWA Unpad Alumni Corps, Riza Fahriza, said in Bandung on Saturday that the distribution of aid was a form of concern for the victims of the earthquake in NTT. “Previously, we sought to collect aid that was genuinely needed by the affected communities and distribute it according to conditions on the ground,” he said.

He explained that the collected aid was spent directly in Flores to meet the needs of affected communities, such as basic food supplies. The aid most needed by evacuees at present includes basic necessities, ready-to-eat meals, tarpaulins, tents, blankets, and mats.

According to Riza, these basic needs are a priority because affected communities require support to meet their daily needs during the post-disaster handling period. Previously, PMPA PALAWA Unpad, together with KAP Unpad and YPI, also participated in fundraising for flash floods and landslides in West Sumatra and Aceh.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that the death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, stood at 111 people, amid thousands of aftershocks still shaking the region until Friday afternoon (28/8). Acting Head of the BNPB Data, Information and Disaster Communication Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, said in a press conference in Jakarta on Friday (28/8) that following the main earthquake on 15 August 2026, thousands of aftershocks had been recorded, with estimates that they would continue for up to a month.

“As of today, after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on 15 August 2026, BMKG has recorded 8,794 aftershocks,” he said. Berton noted that of the total 8,794 aftershocks, their magnitudes ranged from 1.0 to the largest at 6.2, with 152 of them felt by the public.