Flores Island Earthquake Response Update: Emergency Water Relief Launched
In Flores Island, Indonesia, it has rained for only two days over the past month, and even then, it was just a light drizzle. In a region already prone to water shortages, the magnitude 7.7 earthquake caused shared community water tanks and the tent villages where evacuees have gathered to run dry almost immediately. During interviews conducted over the past two days in Nagekeo Regency, numerous requests for water were raised by both evacuees and local government officials.
In response to this situation, on August 24—ten days after the disaster struck—PBV and its local partner NGO, ASAR Humanity, arranged emergency water deliveries. Two water tankers, each carrying 5,000 liters of water, were deployed to the hardest-hit coastal areas. They delivered water for daily use to tanks and buckets across tent villages in northern Nagekeo Regency, as well as to settlements where residents are sleeping in tents set up in front of their homes damaged by the earthquake and tsunami.
When the water tankers arrived, mothers with children ran over with smiles on their faces, holding buckets and empty plastic bottles. In temperatures exceeding 30°C, it was a relief to see children happily splashing themselves with water.
While the government, administrative agencies, and NGOs are currently doing everything they can to provide relief, maintaining a stable supply of food and water—including water for daily use—remains a major challenge. Furthermore, as residents have been spending their days in dry, outdoor conditions since the disaster, there are growing concerns about deteriorating hygiene and sanitation conditions.
Many people on the ground still urgently need support. PBV will continue to carry out emergency relief activities alongside its local partner, including water distribution.
We seek your generous support for communities affected by the earthquake in Flores Island. Please donate.
