Indonesia allocates disaster funds for East Nusa Tenggara earthquake response
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirms approximately Rp5 trillion in emergency funds remain available through BNPB for the earthquake that killed 54 people and displaced nearly 10,000 in East Nusa Tenggara.
Indonesia allocates disaster funds for East Nusa Tenggara earthquake response
Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has assured that funding for disaster response in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) will initially draw from budget reserves allocated to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), with approximately Rp5 trillion (US$280 million) available for immediate deployment.
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Monday, Sadewa outlined the government's staged funding approach for addressing the aftermath of Saturday's magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Nagekeo District. The quake, which hit at 5:58 a.m. local time, triggered minor tsunami waves ranging from 0.17 to 0.94 meters across coastal areas of East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi before the tsunami warning ended at 07:31 local time.
Three-tier disaster funding system
Under Indonesia's three-tier disaster funding system established by Government Regulation 22/2008, emergency response begins with on-call funds managed by BNPB, followed by reconstruction funding and social assistance for post-disaster stages. The Rp5 trillion represents part of a broader allocation of 53 to 60 trillion rupiah set aside for disaster emergency response under the 2026 State Budget.
As of Sunday evening, BNPB reported 54 fatalities, 199 injuries, 9,963 displaced persons, and 1,528 affected households in the disaster zone. Authorities recorded 37 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 3.6 to 6.2 following the initial tremor, complicating response efforts in the mountainous island landscape where BNPB has deployed helicopters to reach affected communities.
We usually use funds from the BNPB that we have already set aside. There is still around Rp5 trillion, if I am not mistaken. Some may have been used, but there should still be enough.
Additional funding available if needed
Sadewa emphasized that if initial BNPB funding proves insufficient, the government would adjust budget support to ensure continuous response operations. The Finance Minister noted that standby funds remain on call and ready for deployment based on ground-level needs.
Reconstruction of public facilities that cannot be financed through BNPB channels will require coordination with relevant ministries and government agencies. Sadewa explained that financing would be provided according to needs identified by disaster response and coordination agencies.
Seismic vulnerability and disaster preparedness
The affected region sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where East Nusa Tenggara experiences approximately 1,200 earthquakes annually, with magnitude 7 or higher quakes occurring roughly every 10 to 15 years. Indonesia maintains substantial disaster reserves partly due to its seismic vulnerability, underscored by the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people across the region, over half of them in Indonesia.
Nagekeo Regency, where the earthquake's epicenter was located, has a population of 168,355 spread across 1,398.08 square kilometers on Flores Island. Beyond BNPB's emergency funds, Indonesia operates a Pooling Fund for Disasters established in 2018 and activated in April 2025 as the central mechanism for financing disaster preparedness and response.