Indonesian Minister Attends Independence Day Ceremony in Earthquake-Hit Region

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, participated in the 81st Independence Day ceremony in Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), a region grappling with the devastating impact of a recent earthquake. The ceremony, held on Monday, took place amidst the ongoing efforts to manage the aftermath of the magnitude 7.7 seismic event.

Pratikno stated that the central government's direct presence in the affected area demonstrates its commitment to expediting the recovery process. "Since the first day of the incident, we have been in NTT to inspect the field and discuss the acceleration of recovery," he said after the flag-raising ceremony at Lapangan Motang Rua.

NTT has borne the brunt of the earthquake, which occurred on Sunday, August 16. As of Monday, August 17, at least 54 people had died, and significant building damage was reported across several areas, including Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Maumere, and Nagekeo.

Accompanying Pratikno were Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo and Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto. They are working to ensure that the earthquake's impact is addressed swiftly and comprehensively. Following the ceremony with local government officials, the ministers were scheduled to visit evacuation sites to assess the conditions of survivors.

The government is coordinating a multi-ministry response to distribute aid across affected regions, including remote islands. Logistics are being managed from a national post in Jakarta, with aid packages being sent to two main posts in NTT: Labuan Bajo for western areas and Maumere for eastern areas. Challenges in distribution due to NTT's island geography are being addressed with air, land, and sea transport, including the deployment of aircraft and helicopters for medical evacuations.

“

Since the first day of the incident, we have been in NTT to inspect the field and discuss the acceleration of recovery.