Earthquake on Flores, Indonesia: death toll, causes and LIFE's humanitarian aid

🚨Emergency

What we know about the earthquake

The essentials in 30 seconds

On 15 August 2026, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Flores (East Nusa Tenggara). The provisional toll as of 18 August stands at 70 dead, 1,100 injured and more than 40,000 people displaced. In response to this disaster, the French NGO LIFE is launching an emergency operation for 800 families, with distributions of drinking water, hygiene kits and food kits planned for late August 2026.

Timeline and key facts about the earthquake

The earthquake struck on Saturday 15 August 2026, shortly before 5:00 am local time (22:00 GMT on Friday 14 August), off the north coast of the island of Flores, Indonesia.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami warning immediately after the quake. The waves observed did not exceed one metre and the warning was lifted around three hours later (source: Alertes-Météo).

Latest figures as of 18 August 2026

The latest official toll released by the BNPB (Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency) and reported by AFP on 18 August 2026 is as follows:

• 70 deaths confirmed
• 1,100 injured (ten times the previous day's figure)
• More than 40,000 people displaced (up from 12,800 the day before)
• 160 homes badly damaged or destroyed
• 93 educational facilities affected
• 36 health facilities affected
• 38 government buildings affected

(source: France 24 / AFP, 18 August 2026)

The toll is still provisional: several villages remain hard to reach because landslides have cut off the main roads, and rescue teams are still searching collapsed buildings.

Worst-hit areas

The earthquake affected several districts of East Nusa Tenggara province. The authorities have released the following breakdown of deaths:

The port town of Maumere (north coast) and the town of Ruteng suffered heavy damage, with collapsed buildings, banks, schools and places of worship (source: Le Devoir / AFP). Isolated villages such as Talibura and Nangahale have been without electricity or telecommunications since the quake.

Why Flores is prone to earthquakes

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active zones in the world. Flores in particular sits along the Flores back-arc thrust fault, a reverse (thrust) fault where one block of the Earth's crust is violently pushed over another. This type of rupture causes both strong shaking at the surface and vertical shifts of the seabed that can generate tsunamis (source: Alertes-Météo).

A tragic precedent in 1992. Flores was struck in 1992 by an earthquake of the same magnitude (7.7). It triggered a devastating tsunami that claimed around 2,500 victims. This memory explains the intense fear among residents and the swift evacuations seen this time.

“I don't dare go home. I'm still traumatised by the 1992 earthquake.”

Nurhidayati, 55, a resident of Nangahale, quoted by AFP, 17 August 2026

The humanitarian response

An international humanitarian response

Given the scale of the damage, several organisations stepped in from the very first hours.

The Indonesian government placed East Nusa Tenggara province under a 14-day state of emergency and sent 50,000 kits, amounting to 275 tonnes of humanitarian aid.

The European Union, in a message from Ursula von der Leyen, expressed its solidarity and made the Copernicus observation satellites available to help survey the ground and locate potential victims.

The Indonesian Red Cross and Red Crescent mobilised their teams to help displaced people in temporary shelters.

Several international NGOs, including LIFE, have committed to targeted operations on the ground, complementing the public response.

LIFE's emergency operation: 800 families on Flores

As announced by the LIFE team on 24 August 2026, a dedicated emergency operation is being rolled out on Flores to help the people affected.

Aims of the operation

• Number of families targeted: 800
• Types of aid distributed:
  Drinking water (jerrycans, purifiers)
  Hygiene kits (soap, menstrual products, toothbrushes)
  Emergency food kits (non-perishable, ready-to-eat food)
• Timing: Distributions from 27–28 August 2026
• Field coordination: Mouhamadou Gaye, LIFE's spokesperson, currently on mission in Bangladesh, will travel to Indonesia to lead the operation on the ground.

Why this operation matters so much

The essential needs identified by the Indonesian authorities match exactly what LIFE has always delivered: water, hygiene, food. On the ground, residents voiced their most urgent needs from the very first hours: “We need food, something to drink, medicine and nappies for the children,” said Umri, 55, speaking to AFP in Nangahale.

LIFE usually works in 25 countries through a network of local partners, with proven experience in emergency distributions in disaster zones. Our dedicated article emergency food aid: how NGOs feed people in crisis zones explains this approach in detail.

How can you help the victims?

There are three ways to contribute.

Give online: Make a one-off or regular donation on our dedicated Indonesia emergency page. Every euro goes directly to aid on the ground, with 66% French tax relief for French taxpayers.

Share: Sharing the news and the emergency page on your social media helps widen support and raises awareness of this disaster among the people around you.

Donate goods through a local partner: If you live in South-East Asia or would like to organise a local collection, contact the LIFE teams to find out the latest priority needs.

To understand how a single donation turns into real impact in crisis zones, read our analysis solidarity food parcels: how they work.