Indonesia sends 20 tons of aid as NTT quake response adds field kitchens

Labuan Bajo — Indonesia’s defence ministry said it sent about 20 tons of humanitarian aid to earthquake-affected areas in East Nusa Tenggara, with the cargo flown by an Air Force A400M to Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo as the government broadened relief efforts beyond emergency evacuation, according to the ministry and local reporting.

The ministry said the shipment went out on Monday, 17 August 2026, after Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin travelled to NTT to inspect the response to the quake. The aid included tents, folding beds, satellite internet devices, solar panels, water-treatment equipment, ready-to-eat meals, blankets, mats, mosquito nets, medicines and baby supplies, according to the ministry’s statement.

Separately, local media reported that the total load, including pallets, came to about 20.9 tons. The package was part of a wider government relief operation that had already delivered additional logistics to Labuan Bajo and other affected areas by air and land, according to the Cabinet Secretariat.

Military expands relief operations

The defence ministry said the Indonesian Military, or TNI, had begun deploying personnel from the first day of the disaster to map affected areas, evacuate residents, provide medical services and distribute basic supplies.

By 18 August, the response had also moved into community meal support, with public kitchens being set up in evacuation areas, according to a related report summarising the government effort. That report said the kitchens were expected to produce about 3,000 meals a day.

The wider logistics effort reflects a multi-agency response to the NTT quake, which officials said affected several regencies including Labuan Bajo, Maumere, Manggarai, West Manggarai, East Manggarai, Sikka, Ende and Nagekeo.

Cabinet Secretariat statements said the government had delivered 52 tons of logistics by 16 August and 253 tons by 19 August, as aircraft and helicopters moved supplies to the affected areas. Those shipments included food, water, medicines, medical equipment, tents and clean-water support, according to the government.

The defence ministry’s relief cargo and the government’s broader logistics operation indicate that the response shifted quickly from rescue and transport to sustained food and shelter support for displaced communities in Flores and surrounding districts.

Sources

• Kementerian Pertahanan Republik Indonesia
• VIVA
• Sekretariat Kabinet Republik Indonesia
• Vietnam.vn