NAGEKEO, Indonesia — Sahria Lelu and her family continue to live in a tent outside a mosque six weeks after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Flores island on Aug. 15. The 38-year-old resident of Nagekeo district said she is "very traumatised" by the disaster, which killed 151 people according to government figures.
The earthquake damaged over 46,000 houses and triggered a tsunami alert, though seawater only reached Lelu's home without destroying it. Roughly 15,000 aftershocks have followed the initial tremor, fueling fears among survivors of further dangerous waves.
Nearly 28,000 people remained displaced as of Sept. 24, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Berton Panjaitan. Many who returned to their properties have opted to camp outside, concerned that aftershocks could cause their damaged houses to collapse.
On Palue, a small island north of Flores with a population of approximately 10,000, residents face a critical shortage of drinking water. Teacher Methildus Nestor Langga, 40, said clean water is "completely dry" and all storage tanks were broken, forcing people to buy water or collect condensed steam from geothermal sources.
Economic hardship compounds the displacement. Maria Onselia, 59, from Flores' Sikka district, struggles to sell the fabric she weaves and must buy water before she can afford rice. Lelu's husband's car and bike repair shop was damaged, eliminating their income source and prompting her to sell fish for money. She has appealed for government assistance for her family and her children's schooling.
The Indonesian government is working to address housing needs. Nagekeo deputy district head Gonzalo Gratianus Muga Sada said 314 units of temporary housing are targeted for completion by late November. Panjaitan stated that more than 2,400 units of permanent lodging are planned to replace homes severely damaged by the quake.
Officials have been dispatched to assess damage around affected villages. Recovery remains distant for many, with Lelu uncertain how long she will live away from her home.
