Habitat Updates
East Nusa Tenggara, August 19, 2026 – A magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck East Nusa Tenggara on August 15, 2026, has brought deep sorrow to thousands of families, particularly in several areas of Flores Island. The earthquake damaged homes and various public facilities, while forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes in search of safer places.
According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as of 7:00 a.m. WITA on August 19, 2026, 70 people had died, while another 1,184 people were reported injured or ill. A total of 40,216 people were still displaced across 11 affected regencies and cities. East Manggarai Regency was among the areas with the highest number of displaced people, with 15,465 displaced residents.
The impact of the earthquake was also evident in the damage to people’s homes. At least 11,950 families were recorded as having damaged homes, comprising 5,518 heavily damaged homes, 1,924 moderately damaged homes, and 4,508 lightly damaged homes. The damage was not limited to residential buildings but also affected facilities that support people’s daily lives.
BNPB recorded at least 208 damaged educational facilities, followed by 75 healthcare facilities, 39 offices, and 53 places of worship. These figures may continue to change as the government and various organizations carry out further data collection and verification in the field.
Habitat for Humanity Indonesia’s Response
The Habitat for Humanity Indonesia team assesses a house damaged by the Flores earthquake in Tueng Village, West Kuwus District, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (Aug. 19). Photo: HFHI/Kevin Herbian
In response to the extensive impact on housing, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia deployed a Roster Deployment team to the affected areas. The team conducted a rapid assessment to understand the extent of housing damage and the living conditions of affected families, while also identifying their most urgent shelter needs.
The rapid assessment serves as an initial step in determining Habitat Indonesia’s interventions to support housing recovery on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara. In addition to assessing the extent of damage, the assessment is necessary to ensure that the response provided is aligned with the needs of affected families and the conditions of the affected areas.
Through the Flores Housing Recovery program, Habitat for Humanity will prioritize support for the housing needs of affected communities. In the initial stage, the response will focus on distributing Emergency Shelter Kits to help families meet their immediate shelter needs following the disaster.
For long-term recovery, Habitat is also preparing interventions for house repairs and seismic retrofitting, which involves strengthening building structures to make homes safer and more resilient to future earthquake risks. The type and scope of these interventions will be determined based on the findings of the field assessments.
This response is part of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia’s efforts to help affected families not only receive protection in the aftermath of the disaster, but also have the opportunity to return to homes that are safer and more resilient.
Habitat Indonesia invites Sahabat Habitat to support families affected by the Flores earthquake. Your support can help meet their immediate housing needs while contributing to the long-term recovery of their homes.
Let us stand together with families affected by the earthquake in Flores. Donations can be made through:
Writer: Kevin Herbian
Graphic: Tias Ester Widhari
(kh/av)
