NTT Police Distribute Aid to 30 Earthquake‑Hit Households on Pulau Ende

Labuan Bajo — The Nusa Tenggara Timur Regional Police (Polda NTT) and Ende Police distributed food aid packages to residents affected by an earthquake on Pulau Ende on Saturday, 19 September 2026, according to local radio network RRI. The operation targeted 30 households in Aejeti and Rendoraterua villages, with 15 recipient families in each village.

The distribution was led by the Pulau Ende police chief and officers who went door to door to residents’ homes. According to RRI, the house-to-house approach was chosen to ensure that the aid reached the intended beneficiaries and to allow police personnel to check on residents’ conditions after the earthquake.

RRI reported that the assistance consisted of “puluhan paket sembako” — dozens of staple-goods packages — delivered to residents affected by the quake on Pulau Ende. The outlet specified that 15 packages were handed out in Aejeti and 15 in Rendoraterua, corresponding to 15 households in each village.

Aid operation on Pulau Ende

Police described the activity as part of a humanitarian response for island residents still in need of basic supplies during the post-earthquake period. The initiative formed one element of a wider sequence of aid deliveries to communities impacted by the Flores earthquake, including earlier missions by Ende Police using fast patrol boats to reach Pulau Ende via sea routes.

Ende Police Chief AKBP Yudhi Franata has previously said that the police role during disasters extends beyond maintaining public order, emphasising social assistance and humanitarian support for affected communities. According to local police communications, officers view direct aid distribution as a way to ease economic burdens and provide psychological reassurance to residents recovering from the quake.

In the Pulau Ende operation on 19 September, the Pulau Ende police sector coordinated closely with village governments and the Ende Police command. Police statements cited by local media indicate that coordination with subdistrict authorities and the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) is part of ongoing efforts to update data on affected residents and to monitor security and public-order conditions after the earthquake.

Data from the reported distribution

• Date: Saturday, 19 September 2026.
• Location: Aejeti and Rendoraterua villages, Pulau Ende, Ende Regency, Nusa Tenggara Timur.
• Recipients: 30 households, divided evenly between the two villages (15 in Aejeti and 15 in Rendoraterua).
• Reported packages: Dozens of staple-goods packages, with 15 packages distributed in Aejeti and 15 in Rendoraterua.
• Lead agency: Pulau Ende Police, under Ende Police and the NTT Regional Police (Polda NTT).

Context

The 19 September distribution took place during an ongoing recovery period following an earthquake that affected Ende Regency and nearby island communities in early September 2026. Police and local authorities have used both sea and land routes to move aid, including earlier deployments of fast patrol boats to deliver food packages to Pulau Ende villages such as Aejeti and Rorurangga.

Island communities around Ende rely heavily on maritime transport for commerce and access to staple goods, making secure sea routes important for sustaining food supplies during and after disasters. Earlier humanitarian missions in the region used police patrol vessels to reach small islands and coastal areas, with officers citing the need to ensure that logistics arrive quickly and directly to affected residents.

Officials have framed these aid operations as part of a longer-term commitment by regional police and disaster agencies to support the economic and psychological recovery of residents impacted by the Flores earthquake, particularly in remote and island areas.

Sources

• RRI Ende – Polda NTT dan Polres Ende Salurkan Sembako bagi Warga Korban Gempa di Pulau Ende
• Warisan Budaya Nusantara – Polres Ende Salurkan Bantuan Kapolda NTT ke Pulau Ende Lewat Jalur Laut
• TribrataNews Ende – Kapolres Ende Salurkan Bantuan Sosial dari Polres TTU untuk Warga Terdampak Gempa di Tetandara Ende