HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – The Indonesian government has assured that food supplies for residents affected by disasters in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) will remain secure throughout the recovery period.
The assurance comes as NTT currently has around 39,000 tons of rice reserves, which the government considers sufficient to meet the needs of affected communities, including those still staying at evacuation centers.
In addition to existing regional reserves, the government continues to distribute regular food assistance as well as special aid for disaster response.
According to data from the National Food Agency (Bapanas) as of Aug. 20, 2026, total regular food assistance and disaster relief food aid distributed in NTT reached 26,440.4 tons, worth approximately Rp370.2 billion.
Of that amount, 25,579 tons of regular food assistance worth Rp358.1 billion was allocated for 861,510 food aid recipients for the July-September period. Meanwhile, special food assistance for disaster response reached 861.5 tons, valued at Rp12.1 billion.
Five Earthquake-Affected Regencies Receive Thousands of Tons of Aid
Particular attention has been given to five regencies affected by earthquakes: Manggarai, East Manggarai, Ngada, Sikka, and Nagekeo.
Across the five areas, total regular food assistance and disaster relief aid reached 6,673.2 tons, worth approximately Rp93.5 billion.
The figure consists of 5,811.7 tons of regular food assistance worth Rp81.4 billion and 861.5 tons of special disaster relief assistance worth Rp12.1 billion.
National Food Agency Head Andi Amran Sulaiman said the government was moving quickly to ensure that food supplies for disaster-affected communities were not disrupted.
He said the response followed President Prabowo Subianto’s direction to ensure affected residents receive immediate support on the ground.
“Clearly, no one should be left without assistance or go hungry. That must not happen. Whatever means are necessary, by land, sea, or air, we will use them all,” Amran, Holopis.com, reported, Thursday (Aug. 20).
NTT Rice Reserves Reach 39,000 Tons
Amran assured that NTT’s existing rice reserves remain sufficient to meet the needs of disaster-affected communities. Rice stocks in the province currently stand at around 39,000 tons, while the estimated needs of approximately 34,600 evacuees are around 300 tons per month.
“The bottom line is that there will be no shortage of rice. When it comes to rice, that is my responsibility,” he said.
Amran also said food distribution does not necessarily have to wait for all administrative procedures from the central government if conditions on the ground require an immediate response.
Bapanas posts and teams operating in affected areas have been instructed to actively assess residents’ needs and ensure assistance can be delivered according to conditions on the ground.
