Flores residents demand accountability over earthquake response
Flores residents are seeking accountability over the slow response to a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that killed 48 people. Shelter conditions and aid-registration gaps remain contested.
By Mukmin John
· 2 min read
Flores — Residents of Flores Island are demanding government accountability over the response to the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that killed 48 people in August, according to The Jakarta Post report updated on October 15, 2026.
The report said civil society groups renewed concerns about the pace of the post-disaster response in East Nusa Tenggara, while residents issued a legal notice accusing President Prabowo Subianto's administration of negligence.
Two months after the earthquake, evacuation shelters reportedly still had limited access to food, clothing, sanitation, health care and essential infrastructure, including schools, according to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI).
WALHI legal manager Christine Constanta described the conditions as a humanitarian crisis and alleged state negligence, The Jakarta Post reported.
The report also said 108 people died in evacuation shelters in late September. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said most of those deaths involved elderly residents with pre-existing chronic illnesses, including strokes and diabetes, and said health authorities had provided maximum health care.
Some displaced residents were reportedly forced to build about 450 makeshift tents across Ende. The report said those self-built shelters were not included in BNPB evacuee data, leaving their occupants without adequate assistance.
Why it matters to readers in the Komodo region
The Flores case concerns disaster-response standards in East Nusa Tenggara, the province that includes the Komodo region. The reported gaps in shelter registration, sanitation, health care and basic infrastructure affect how displaced communities can access official assistance after a major earthquake.
BNPB's response dashboard listed around 28,000 displaced residents in East Nusa Tenggara, mostly in East Manggarai, Manggarai and Sikka, but none in Ende, according to the report.
The Jakarta Post separately reported that the government was investigating the deaths among evacuees and that a lawsuit over the disaster response was being planned.
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