EAST MANGGARAI — The Hasanuddin University (Unhas) Disaster Response Thematic Community Service Program (KKN-TB) team has delivered aid to 40 households (KK) affected by the disaster in East Manggarai. The aid went to victims in RT 012, Gongger Bawah, West Satapunda Village, North Lamba Leda District.
The aid consisted of 47 mats and food supplies, including rice, eggs, corned beef, meatballs, and instant noodles. It was distributed directly to affected residents as part of Unhas’s response to the needs of people in an area still in a post-disaster condition.
Unhas KKN-TB team member Muhammad Aflahal Mukmin, a 2023 student in the International Relations Study Program at Unhas’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), said the distribution also gave the team a chance to see for themselves the residents’ conditions and the needs that remain on the ground.
“We delivered the aid directly to affected residents. We also looked at conditions on the ground and coordinated with relevant parties to find out which needs of the community are still urgent,” said Aflahal.
The aid was delivered on Thursday, 20 August 2026. That afternoon, the situation changed when an aftershock of about magnitude 4–5 struck. One more house collapsed, leaving two residents with minor injuries.
Aflahal said the incident made the team once again pay attention to residents near the site and monitor its impact. Aflahal and the KKN-TB team at the disaster site face considerable challenges. In addition to providing aid to affected residents, they must also watch out for their own safety.
“After the aftershock, we realized that conditions on the ground are still very dynamic. This is a challenge in itself for the whole team,” said Aflahal.
The incident became an important part of the Unhas KKN-TB Team’s monitoring. Information about new damage, residents’ conditions, and needs on the ground is used by the team to adjust the support it provides while in the affected area.
The presence of the Unhas KKN-TB Team in East Manggarai is directed at a response based on community needs. In addition to distributing logistics, the students monitor field conditions and build coordination with relevant parties to support the handling of affected residents.
The team will continue monitoring and coordination in the affected area as part of Unhas’s contribution to supporting the response and the recovery of communities after the disaster in East Nusa Tenggara. (*/kkn/dhs)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.