Thousands await aid after deadly Indonesian quake on Flores island

Thousands of evacuees on Indonesia's Flores island are desperately awaiting aid following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The powerful tremor, which struck early on August 15, has claimed at least 48 lives, injured dozens more, and caused extensive damage to hundreds of homes and buildings. In the hours after the main quake, the island experienced 341 aftershocks, further terrifying residents. Many of the approximately 5,000 people who fled their homes remain displaced, fearing to return to damaged structures. "We need food, drink, medicines, and diapers for the children," said Umri, a resident of Nangahale village, who has been sheltering on a hilltop for 24 hours. Another survivor, Nurhidayati, expressed her lingering fear, stating, "I'm still terrified; my heart is pounding hard remembering yesterday's tremor... I don't dare to go home." She recalled the devastating 1992 earthquake that struck Flores, killing about 2,500 people and triggering a tsunami, a memory that fuels her current anxiety. The national disaster agency reported at least 101 injuries and significant material losses that have disrupted daily life. Survivors require emergency tents, food, medicines, blankets, camp beds, mats, clean water, and electricity generators. The provincial government is preparing to declare a 14-day emergency response status, while international aid, including satellite support from the EU, is being mobilized.

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We need food, drink, medicines, and diapers for the children.