Indonesia releases $2.5 million in emergency funds for East Nusa Tenggara earthquake relief
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announces 44 billion rupiah disbursement for disaster response in earthquake-affected areas, with additional funding prepared as damage assessments continue.
Govt disburses US$2.5 million for quake-hit NTT relief operations
The Indonesian government has released 44 billion rupiah ($2.5 million) in emergency funding to support relief operations across East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) following a devastating magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck the province on August 15, 2026.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announced the disbursement on Wednesday, emphasizing that central authorities stand ready to allocate further resources based on evolving needs on the ground. The earthquake occurred at 5:58 a.m. local time with its epicenter approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay in Nagekeo Regency, at a depth of 10-15 kilometers.
"I told the regents to use this initial funding first. If there is a shortfall, notify us so we can report directly to the President. Additional funds will certainly be allocated for areas hit by disasters of this scale."
Widespread devastation and ongoing aftershocks
The disaster has caused significant casualties and infrastructure damage across the region. As of August 17, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) confirmed 68 deaths and 213 injuries, with Manggarai and East Manggarai among the hardest-hit areas. The agency recorded 157 houses heavily damaged, 41 moderately damaged, and 148 lightly damaged, leaving more than 12,000 people homeless.
Seismic activity has continued to pose threats to affected communities. By Monday, August 17, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had recorded 1,624 aftershocks, including 23 with magnitudes above 5.0. The strongest aftershock measured magnitude 6.2.
The earthquake also triggered a Level II tsunami warning for coastal areas in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi. The highest tsunami wave was recorded at 0.94 meters at Maurole-Ende.
Emergency response framework
The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government has declared a 14-day emergency response period running from August 15 to 28, 2026. Some regencies have established longer timelines, with Manggarai declaring a 90-day disaster emergency response period extending to November 13, 2026.
The Finance Ministry, through its Directorate General of Fiscal Balance, is monitoring the fiscal status of local governments affected by the earthquake to ensure adequate financial support for immediate community relief. Current operations remain centered on emergency response, though the central government has begun calculating requirements for repair and post-disaster recovery phases.
"The central government has begun calculating requirements and is preparing the necessary budget, subject to the President's approval."
Purbaya noted that future support will scale based on damage assessments.
The ministry is coordinating closely with BNPB, which was established in January 2008 and reports directly to the President, to ensure budget availability for emergency operations and maintain swift, targeted aid distribution.
Regional context
East Nusa Tenggara, with an area of approximately 47,932 square kilometers and a population of 5.33 million people as of the 2020 Census, remains one of Indonesia's least developed provinces. According to USGS estimates, approximately 56,000 people experienced severe shaking from the earthquake, 420,000 very strong shaking, and 1.17 million strong shaking.
The earthquake source was identified as the Flores Back-Arc Thrust fault system, the same tectonic setting that produced a major magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Flores in 1992 that caused significant damage and a tsunami, demonstrating the recurring seismic hazard in this region.