Ministry dispatches aid, prepares compensation for NTT quake victims

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1 hour ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Social Affairs is mobilizing billions of rupiah in logistical assistance while also preparing compensation funds for earthquake victims who died or were injured in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono, on Sunday, informed that the logistics mobilization was carried out through the Kupang Efata Center, the NTT Provincial Social Service Warehouse, and the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Central Warehouse in Bekasi to meet the urgent needs of evacuees.

“We continue to prepare and mobilize logistics for disaster response. In NTT, we have two warehouses serving as mobilization points: the Kupang Efata Center and the NTT Provincial Social Service Warehouse,” he conveyed.

He explained that the distribution of logistical aid from Kupang to affected areas had been disrupted by high waves at sea.

To address the issue, the ministry is taking discretionary measures to procure supplies directly in disaster-hit areas, ensuring communities have immediate access to food and evacuation necessities, Priyono noted.

According to him, the total value of logistical assistance mobilized by the Ministry of Social Affairs for the emergency response in NTT reaches approximately Rp4.52 billion (US$245 thousand).

This assistance includes ready-to-eat meals, family tents, mattresses, blankets, supplies for children and adults, and an additional 48 tons of rice.

Priyono said his office has also allocated a special budget as a form of government concern for the families of victims who died in the disaster.

“We will provide compensation of Rp15 million (US$816) for each deceased victim to the heirs. We ask the local government and the Social Affairs Office to immediately collect data and report it to the Ministry of Social Affairs,” he remarked.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on Saturday (August 15) has killed 51 people, injured 110, and forced more than 5,000 people to evacuate.

As a follow-up measure, Priyono confirmed that the ministry has also deployed Disaster Preparedness Cadets (Tagana) and the Social Protection for Disaster Victims (PSKB) team to establish public kitchens, assist with the evacuation process, and oversee the declaration of emergency response status in the affected areas.