Fear of hunger grows in Indonesia as aid struggles to reach Flores earthquake survivors

Indonesia is grappling with the aftermath of its deadliest earthquake since 2022, a 7.7 magnitude tremor that struck the island of Flores just before 06:00 on Saturday at a shallow depth of 15km. The quake killed at least 53 people and displaced roughly 5,000, and has been followed by hundreds of aftershocks.

Survivors have been sleeping outdoors through hot days and cold nights, too afraid of further collapses to return to damaged homes. Tents pitched among the rubble of destroyed hospitals now serve as makeshift medical wards. A hospital official in Manggarai Regency said promised medical supplies had yet to arrive, even as staff continued to hope for their delivery. At that facility, the operating room, delivery room, pharmacy and laboratory were all knocked out of service after the roof caved in.

Early figures from Indonesia's disaster agency show more than 1,000 homes damaged, along with dozens of health centres, schools and government buildings, though the full extent of the destruction is still being assessed.

In Labuan Bajo, the tourist gateway to Komodo National Park, residents have likewise been camping outside their damaged homes out of fear of being caught inside during another collapse. A local journalist said communities have been left largely to organise their own evacuation shelters amid power cuts and blocked roads, with little government guidance. Many have fled to higher ground, where food and clean water shortages are becoming severe.

In Ngada Regency, a resident said the government's response had been too slow, pointing to budget and supply constraints facing district and regional authorities. Cut-off villages and displaced families sheltering on higher ground continue to face ongoing aftershocks.

On Sunday night, rescuers finally reached Nitung Village on Palue Island, north of Flores, after it had been isolated for nearly two days. The team needed a two-hour overland trip along landslide-prone roads to get there. Officials said hundreds of homes in the village were severely damaged and that residents had been without electricity or communication since the quake struck, with aid only now being rushed in.