NAGEKEO, Indonesia — Six weeks after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Flores island on August 15, thousands of survivors remain displaced, grappling with trauma and housing insecurity. The quake damaged over 46,000 houses and triggered roughly 15,000 aftershocks.
As of September 24, nearly 28,000 people were still displaced, according to Berton Panjaitan, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. The death toll reached 151.
Sahria Lelu, 38, of Nagekeo district, continues to live in a tent outside a mosque with her family. "What prevents us to go back home is that we are still traumatised, very traumatised," Lelu said. She fears continuous aftershocks could trigger additional dangerous waves, after ocean waters reached her home following the initial quake.
Many survivors who returned home have opted to camp outside, wary their houses could collapse due to new major activity.
The earthquake also destroyed Lelu's husband's car and bike repair shop, eliminating their primary income source. She now sells fish to earn money. She appealed for government assistance for her family.
Across Flores in Sikka district, Maria Onselia, 59, also lives in a tent outside her damaged home. She reports difficulties selling fabric she weaves and struggles to secure food. "In this season, it's hard to get water. We have to buy water, before we can buy rice," Onselia said.
Residents on Palue, a small island north of Flores with approximately 10,000 people, face critical shortages of drinking water. Methildus Nestor Langga, a 40-year-old teacher, explained that all water storage tanks were broken, forcing people to buy water or use bamboo poles to condense steam from geothermal sources.
Gonzalo Gratianus Muga Sada, deputy district head for Nagekeo, stated the government aims to provide 314 units of temporary housing by late November. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency confirmed plans to construct more than 2,400 permanent housing units to replace those heavily damaged by the quake.
