Government vows continued support until NTT quake recovery

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2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian government has pledged sustained assistance for residents affected by 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on August 15, assuring the public that relief operations will continue until normalcy is restored.

Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) official made the remarks after BNPB Head Suharyanto visited a quake-hit village on Palue Island, Sikka District, according to a statement cited here in Jakarta on Saturday.

“The recovery of community life will continue to be overseen to enable Palue islanders to safely resume their activities and gradually move past the trauma caused by the earthquake,” Acting Head of BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Berton Panjaitan said.

He further stressed the government’s commitment to working with all relevant parties to mobilise resources, meet survivors’ basic needs, and assist them throughout the emergency and recovery phases.

Regarding conditions on Palue, Panjaitan expressed hope that residents would feel reassured knowing that continued relief supplies were guaranteed and mobility to and within the island was beginning to recover.

Suharyanto visited Palue on Friday (August 21) to directly oversee relief operations. Residents there were among the hardest hit due to their proximity to the epicenter of the tectonic earthquake in the Flores Sea.

He reported during the visit that the island had begun receiving relief supplies, including tents for shelter, noting the government would continue supplying essential goods and equipment to Palue residents.

Furthermore, he said the government had deployed three excavators to restore accessibility by clearing debris caused by quake-induced landslides.

“Paths previously blocked by landslides have now become passable again,” Suharyanto confirmed.

The BNPB chief emphasised that restoring road access is essential to ensuring the smooth distribution of relief supplies to people in need.