Indonesia keeps Rp5 trillion ready as NTT earthquake toll hits 54

hartono · Aug 17, 2026

Indonesia keeps Rp5 trillion ready as NTT earthquake toll hits 54

Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa at the Anniversary of 81st Independence of Indonesia at the Ministry of Finance Office in Jakarta on Monday (August 17, 2026). (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Finance)

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government maintains a Rp5 trillion (around US$281 million) liquid fund to finance disaster management efforts across the country.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said on Monday that the government remains ready to allocate additional funds based on actual needs, following an official request from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

“The disaster relief fund is always maintained at Rp5 trillion. But if it is not enough, we will add more depending on the needs submitted by BNPB,” Sadewa said.

He assured that every funding request for disaster management would be processed promptly through the government’s established mechanisms and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“As soon as the official request is received, we follow it up immediately. Specifically, for disaster relief needs, our SOPs are designed to be responsive as long as the request is clear,” Sadewa explained.

In addition to the funds managed by the Ministry of Finance, BNPB also has a ready-to-use reserve fund of approximately Rp500 billion to support emergency response efforts on the ground, Sadewa said.

“BNPB also has funds ready for use, approximately Rp500 billion on standby. If it is not enough, then we will top it up,” he added.

The preparedness reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that funding does not become an obstacle to disaster response efforts.

Sadewa said budgetary support would continue to be adjusted in line with actual needs on the ground and official requests from BNPB.

The measure is intended to ensure that disaster response remains swift, measured, and targeted, while maintaining the government’s fiscal readiness to address various emergency situations across the country.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck Nagekeo District in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province on Saturday (August 15) at 5:58 a.m. Central Indonesian Time (WITA; GMT+8).

On Sunday evening (August 16), BNPB reported that 54 people had died, 199 had been injured, 9,963 had been displaced, and 1,528 households had been affected.

BNPB also reported that 2,403 homes were damaged by the earthquake on the northern side of Flores Island. Of these, 1,543 sustained severe damage, 328 sustained moderate damage, and 532 sustained minor damage.

A total of 22 educational buildings were damaged, while 88 others were affected by the earthquake. Meanwhile, 211 health facilities were affected, including 21 hospitals and 190 community health centers.

Furthermore, BNPB reported that a warehouse belonging to Perum Bulog, 42 public facilities, 65 places of worship, 105 office buildings, 18 irrigation facilities, and 34 road sections were also affected by the deadly earthquake.