Manggarai Timur – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) of East Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, distributed 107 packages of basic necessities to residents affected by the earthquake through the St. Joseph Kisol Parish Relief Post in Tanah Rata Urban Village, Kota Komba District, East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

The assistance was collected through a mutual cooperation effort by the Kadin East Manggarai board in collaboration with Chairman of Kadin NTT Province Bobby Lianto. Chairman of Kadin East Manggarai Maximillian Firman Demorin personally led the distribution of the aid.

Firman said the assistance was a manifestation of Kadin’s solidarity with communities affected by the earthquake. He emphasized that concern for disaster victims should be demonstrated through concrete action according to each party’s capacity.

“In a situation like this, whatever we can do, we must do immediately. Kadin East Manggarai has chosen to take action with the resources available so that assistance can quickly reach those who need it,” Firman said.

He said the needs of communities following an earthquake do not last for just one or two days. Therefore, assistance in the form of basic necessities needs to be provided continuously until residents have fully recovered.

“What we hope is that this spirit of solidarity will continue. We do not have to wait until we have a large capacity before starting to help. Everyone can contribute according to their own ability and reach,” he said.

Kisol is one of the areas affected by the earthquake. Several houses were reportedly damaged or collapsed. Some residents set up tents on their own and chose to sleep outside their homes as a precaution against aftershocks.

A resident in the area also died after being struck by falling debris on the first day of the earthquake.

The St. Joseph Kisol Parish Relief Post began operating on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The post serves as one of the points for data collection and distribution of assistance to affected families within the Kisol Parish service area.

Firman said Kadin East Manggarai understands that the earthquake’s impact has been spread across several areas. Some regions have suffered more severe damage and have more difficult access.

Therefore, he hoped that aid efforts could be expanded according to the capacity and reach of each party.

“Based on the information we received through Kadin NTT Province, Kadin’s assistance at the national level is also currently being processed. We hope that broader support on a larger scale can eventually reach more communities and extend further into areas that are in need,” Firman said.

According to him, all affected areas need attention.

“Everyone affected is our brother and sister. We are taking action based on what we can do now, while continuing to encourage broader assistance to reach areas with greater needs,” he said.

Pastor of St. Joseph Kisol Parish, RD Agustinus Rame, expressed his appreciation for the assistance. He conveyed his gratitude to Kadin East Manggarai and Kadin NTT Province for their concern for residents affected by the earthquake.

Agustinus also praised Kadin officials for continuing to assist the community despite some of them also experiencing the impact of the earthquake.

He prayed that the Kadin East Manggarai and Kadin NTT Province teams would be blessed with good health, smooth operations, and success in carrying out their work and service to the community.