After Flores quake, BKKBN links sanitation drive to high NTT stunting rate

Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s national family-planning agency BKKBN is working with fundraising platform Kitabisa to improve clean water and sanitation for families affected by the 15 August 2026 earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara, as part of broader efforts to reduce child stunting in the province, according to Indonesian media reports and recent government briefings.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the north coast of Flores Island at 05:58 local time on 15 August 2026, prompting tsunami alerts and mass evacuations across East Nusa Tenggara and neighbouring regions. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and international monitoring bodies reported strong shaking across Flores and nearby islands, damage to thousands of houses and public facilities, and waves under one metre along parts of the coast.

Sanitation, nutrition and stunting

In mid-September, BKKBN said it was coordinating with Kitabisa and other partners to support earthquake-hit communities with clean water and sanitation services, alongside nutrition assistance for vulnerable groups including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, children and women. According to reporting on the initiative, the collaboration aims to ensure affected families have both adequate food intake and safer hygiene conditions as reconstruction proceeds.

BKKBN head Wihaji has linked post-disaster sanitation repairs to the agency’s broader drive to cut stunting, a condition of impaired growth in children that can result from chronic undernutrition, poor health and repeated infections. He has stated that housing, clean water and bathing, washing and toilet facilities — known in Indonesia as MCK — are being prioritised in the NTT response together with nutritional support.

Government data and public reports show that stunting remains a nationwide concern. Indonesia’s national stunting prevalence was reported at around 20 percent in 2024, and the government has set a medium-term target to reduce this further by 2029. Separate BKKBN monitoring has identified millions of families considered at risk of stunting based on the agency’s family database, highlighting the scale of the challenge.

In East Nusa Tenggara, BKKBN has cited a stunting prevalence figure of around 37 percent, significantly higher than the national average. Indonesian outlets reporting on the post-quake programme have not specified which survey or reference year this provincial number is drawn from, but they describe it as an indicator of NTT’s relatively high stunting burden compared with many other regions.

Earthquake impact and evolving casualty figures

Early situation overviews after the earthquake recorded dozens of deaths, hundreds of injuries and extensive damage to homes and public facilities across Flores and surrounding islands, based on BNPB and provincial disaster agency data. As emergency operations continued and assessments reached more remote areas, reported casualty figures increased.

By mid-September, BNPB officials told national media that 142 people had died since the quake, and that at least 94 of those deaths occurred in evacuation shelters rather than during the initial shaking. According to the same briefing, 48 people were killed directly by the disaster on 15 August, while the remainder died later in temporary shelters amid constrained conditions.

Disaster agencies and broadcasters have also reported that more than 12,000 residents remained displaced in the days after the quake, and that damage verification teams have confirmed tens of thousands of affected houses across multiple regencies. BNPB and the provincial disaster agency BPBD NTT have recorded varying totals for damaged homes and public facilities, reflecting different reporting systems used during the emergency phase.

What is known about the BKKBN–Kitabisa collaboration

According to national media reporting, BKKBN has stressed that its stunting-reduction work in NTT predates the earthquake and involves cooperation with universities and other institutions. The agency says the new collaboration with Kitabisa is intended to accelerate practical assistance in quake-hit areas, particularly the provision and repair of clean water and sanitation facilities for families considered at high risk of stunting.

Reports on the partnership describe a focus on mothers and young children in evacuation centres and damaged settlements, but do not list specific target districts or provide detailed project metrics such as the number of facilities planned or completed. Officials have framed the effort as part of a wider strategy that includes improving nutrition, expanding access to safe water and toilets, and addressing social factors such as early marriage that can contribute to stunting in the province.

As of the latest available reporting, disaster management agencies say basic services including electricity, communications, fuel supply, clean water, transportation, healthcare and education are gradually recovering in affected parts of NTT. The extent to which household-level sanitation and nutrition support will translate into measurable reductions in stunting will depend on long-term monitoring and the scale of reconstruction across the province.

Sources

• Metro TV News (metrotvnews.com) – Pemerintah Benahi Sanitasi Cegah Stunting Pascagempa NTT
• AHA Centre – FLASH UPDATE No. 1 – M7.7 Earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, 15 August 2026
• Reuters – At least 47 dead in eastern Indonesia after magnitude 7.7 quake
• The Jakarta Post – NTT earthquake death figures prompt calls for investigation
• Data Friendly Space – Indonesia Earthquake: Situation Overview
• AFP via The Daily Star – Nearly 13000 displaced after deadly Indonesian quake
• RRI – BNPB Says Basic Services in East Nusa Tenggara Gradually Recover After Earthquake