Police use local boat to deliver third-phase earthquake aid to Longos Island
Manggarai Barat’s water and air police unit used a community-owned boat to deliver a third phase of earthquake relief to Longos Island, Pontianak village, carrying food, water, baby supplies and shelter materials to residents with limited…
By Pandi Muktar
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· Event date: · 4 min read
Labuan Bajo — The water and air police unit of Manggarai Barat regency has delivered a third phase of earthquake relief to residents of Longos Island, Pontianak village, Boleng district, using a community-owned boat, according to local media reports and police information released in mid-September.
Radio Republik Indonesia reported that the Satuan Polisi Perairan dan Udara (Sat Polairud) of the Manggarai Barat Police transported logistics to Longos Island on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, relying on a locally owned vessel because regular transport access to several islands remained limited after the earthquake that struck the Flores area.
The relief operation targeted residents of Longos Island, which forms part of Pontianak village in Boleng district, Manggarai Barat regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Police statements cited by RRI and regional news outlet Okebajo.com said the maritime route was used to ensure basic supplies reached coastal and remote island communities affected by the disaster.
Sat Polairud chief First Inspector (IPTU) Leonardo Marpaung led the distribution. In comments carried by RRI and Okebajo.com, he said the use of sea transport was intended to extend the police’s reach and maintain the availability of essential goods for coastal and outer-island residents whose accessibility was constrained in the post-earthquake period.
Relief cargo for Longos Island
Reports from RRI and Okebajo.com describe the third-phase shipment to Longos Island as a mix of food, drinking water, baby supplies, clothing and materials for temporary shelter. The documented food and beverage items included:
- 15 boxes of instant noodles
- 40 boxes of Indomilk milk
- 50 boxes of bottled drinking water
- Five boxes of biscuits
According to the same reports, the shipment also contained baby milk and diapers; 50 sets of wearable clothing; 50 sarongs; 50 towels; 10 folding mattresses; blankets; and two large tarpaulins measuring about 12 by 15 metres for temporary housing.
Police information cited by RRI said the aid was intended to meet basic needs for residents impacted by the earthquake. Okebajo.com reported that the package formed part of emergency logistics for disaster response and described it as the third stage of deliveries to Longos Island.
Village head Sarifudin, of Pontianak village, told RRI and Okebajo.com that the local administration had received the aid and would distribute it transparently and according to the needs of residents requiring assistance.
Sea routes central to post-quake response
Both RRI and Okebajo.com highlighted that limited land and port infrastructure in parts of northern Manggarai Barat forced responders to rely on sea routes to reach earthquake-affected communities on islands and remote coastal areas. In Longos, police and village authorities used a community-owned boat to carry the packaged aid from Labuan Bajo across the Flores Sea to the island.
The Longos operation followed earlier movements of relief by sea to other parts of Pontianak village. RRI and Okebajo.com reported that police and partner agencies had previously shipped food and basic supplies to Pasir Panjang, another coastal settlement in the same village, using police vessels when road access was impassable.
The third-phase shipment to Longos Island adds to wider support for communities in northern Manggarai Barat after the August 2026 Flores earthquake. Flores-based outlet Florespos.net reported that the district government and partner institutions, including the Komodo National Park authority and the Labuan Bajo Flores Tourism Authority, had earlier sent more than two tonnes of rice to Longos Island and other nearby islands using a combination of police, naval and park vessels.
According to RRI and Okebajo.com, police plan to continue coordinating with village and subdistrict authorities in Boleng to monitor the situation of residents on Longos and in other coastal areas, focusing on the availability of basic foodstuffs, drinking water and other essential needs as recovery progresses.
Sources
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