Indonesia: 5,000 displaced and 53 dead after strong 7.7 earthquake

Humanitarian crisis in Indonesia: More than 5,000 displaced after 7.7 magnitude earthquake

The island of Flores, in Indonesia, is going through moments of deep anguish after the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that shook the region last Saturday. The official toll, so far, amounts to 53 people dead and 135 injured, in addition to severely affected infrastructure that has forced thousands of citizens to leave their homes.

Rescue and assistance priorities

Local authorities, led by the Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), have focused their efforts on the immediate care of the more than 5,000 displaced people. Berton SP Panjaitan, the entity’s head of information, stressed that supplying the evacuation centers is the main urgency in this emergency scenario.

Meeting basic needs and providing supplies in evacuation centers is now an absolute priority for our response team.

Among the supplies most urgently requested by the victims are:

• Tents and temporary shelters.
• Medicines and first aid kits.
• Basic food, especially rice.
• Drinking water and blankets.
• Electric generators for the affected areas.

Testimonials of uncertainty

The fear of aftershocks is constant among the survivors. Many residents, like Charles, an inhabitant of Nagekeo, have had to take refuge in sports centers after confirming that their homes were left uninhabitable. The fear of a possible tsunami keeps families living in coastal areas in a state of permanent alert, preferring the safety of shelters to the uncertainty of their damaged homes.

Structural impact and seismic activity

The earthquake, whose epicenter was located about 62 kilometers northwest of the city of Ende, has left a trail of considerable destruction. Reports indicate that at least 154 homes suffered serious structural damage, in addition to dozens of buildings with moderate and minor damage. The instability of the area has been reflected in intense secondary activity, with nearly 995 aftershocks recorded, 46 of which have been felt by the local population.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto spoke out about the catastrophe, expressing his condolences to the affected families in the East Nusa Tenggara province. Indonesia, being located in the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” continues to be one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to these types of natural phenomena due to the constant convergence of tectonic plates.