Home CBN Updates September 2026
Amid Wounds and Loss, Your Support Brings Hope to Flores Earthquake Victims
Kemanusiaan
Early in the morning on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 5:58 AM, while most people in Flores were still asleep, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the area 30 kilometers northeast of Mbay, Nagekeo Regency - so powerful that it was felt as far as Maumere and the coastal areas of Sikka.
Residents ran out to save themselves in the darkness, following an early tsunami warning issued after the earthquake.
Within hours, hundreds of aftershocks continued strike - a total of 686 recorded in the first 24 hours alone. Homes collapsed. Roads were cut off. And behind every statistic were families who had lost their shelter, and children left carrying the trauma of that terrifying moment.
Hundreds of lives were lost, thousands were injured, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to evacuate as their homes were reduced to rubble.
Seeing the scale of the disaster’s impact, CBN’s humanitarian team through Obor Berkat Indonesia responded quickly. On August 19, 2026, the team went directly into the field to reach three of the most affected areas: Manggarai, East Manggarai, and Nagekeo.
By the end of August 2026, the Obor Berkat Indonesia team had helped more than 3,000 earthquake victims across the disaster response points through:
- 600 food packages
- 18 emergency lamps
- 200 children get the Psychosocial support
Among the thousands of survivors visited by the team, there was a moving story from Mrs. Rosalia’s family in Compang Ruteng Village, Manggarai, as they tried to save themselves. Only by God’s protection were she, her husband, and their children able to escape from their house, which nearly collapsed during the earthquake.
“At first, we could not open the door. If we had opened it, we would have been hit by the debris in front of the porch. I was hit on the head by a falling rock from above. We were only able to get out through the back door. Thank you, Obor Berkat, for visiting us here. May God bless you,” said Mrs. Rosalia.
In Lemarang Village, West Reok, one of the most difficult areas to reach, the arrival of the relief team felt like a ray of hope in the midst of despair.
“This is something truly extraordinary. You came into our time of grief and hardship. Our friends from Obor Berkat have brought a blessing to us—delivering aid to be distributed to the community. We express our deepest gratitude - may God reward this good intention,” said Mr. Kornelis, Village Chief of Lemarang, West Reok, Manggarai.
Watch the testimony video here:
Every Act of Support Is a Seed of New Hope
Today, Flores is still struggling to rise and recover. Yet every food package delivered, and every warm hug given to frightened children - all these stems from your sincerity in choosing to care.
Thank you for all your support. Because of your helping hand, the children and families affected by the earthquake in Flores now hold onto the hope of recovery.
