President Sends 50,000 Food Packages to NTT Earthquake Sites
President Prabowo Subianto has sent presidential assistance in the form of 50,000 basic food packages to communities affected by the earthquake disaster in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) on Saturday (15/8).
Prabowo has also assigned several central government officials to travel directly to Labuan Bajo and Maumere. Those assigned include Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto, and Head of Basarnas Mohammad Syafii.
Also deployed were the Deputy Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono, as well as teams from PLN, Pertamina, Telkom, and Bulog.
“50,000 basic food packages from the presidential assistance have been dispatched to Maumere for the affected communities,” said Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya in a statement on Saturday afternoon.
“President Prabowo has ordered all ranks to move quickly in handling the situation and ensuring that affected communities receive the assistance they need,” Teddy said.
Meanwhile, at a press conference in Jakarta held today, BNPB Head Suharyanto stated that the presidential assistance sent by Prabowo would be distributed immediately to residents in need. “We will send this immediately to help meet the initial logistical needs in the disaster areas,” he said.
In addition to basic food packages, the government will ensure the fulfilment of various basic needs for residents affected by the earthquake. The assistance prepared includes food, drinks, clean water, tents or shelter, generators, and other emergency necessities.
The government is also continuing to optimise logistical supplies available in areas surrounding the disaster sites. Suharyanto explained that the Ministry of Social Affairs would, within one to two days, shift supplies from neighbouring districts that were less affected or unaffected by the earthquake.
One area with available logistical supplies is East Flores. The Ministry of Social Affairs and BNPB still hold a number of basic necessities in logistics warehouses, which can be utilised immediately to assist affected communities. These supplies were previously prepared as reserves for handling communities affected by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki.
“The warehouses still contain many goods, and for the time being we will shift them to the areas affected by the earthquake,” Suharyanto said.
The main earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7, struck approximately 30 kilometres northeast of Mbay, Nagekeo Regency, NTT, in the early hours of Saturday (15/8) Western Indonesia Time.
Following the earthquake, BMKG issued a tsunami early warning for several areas, particularly NTT and the Selayar Islands in South Sulawesi. The tsunami early warning has since been declared over, but BMKG reported increased waves hitting several coastal areas.
According to BNPB records as of Saturday (15/8) at 15.00 Western Indonesia Time, the number of residents killed by the earthquake stood at 38, with two seriously injured and 11 lightly injured. In addition, 2,000 people have been displaced independently.
These figures are dynamic, as data collection and evacuation efforts are still ongoing. The areas most significantly affected by the disaster are Manggarai Regency, followed by East Manggarai Regency.