Tropical Cyclone caused rainstorms in several places of Indonesia and severely hit East Nusa Tenggara Province. This phenomenon becomes more serious after flash flooding and landslides happened in Lembata and Adonara islands. Experts claim those disasters occur due to deforestation. This activity weakens the soil holding capacity and is exacerbated by increasing the intensity of rain. This deforestation activity is carried out by parties outside the village; however, its impact is felt directly by local communities.

Flash floods were damaging the residential area in Ile Ape, Lembata (Photo: BARAKAT)

The worst situations happened on Lembata Island. In addition to continuous rainstorms that happen at 11 am on the 3rd of April and the volcanic status of Ile Lewotolok increased to level three of alert, the community started being alert. At 1 am, the rainstorms become even harder, then the community decided to evacuate in the shelter points/places. However, those shelter is intended to be the evacuation point in the case of the volcano eruption, not for other disasters such as rainstorms or flash flood. Unexpectedly, flash floods and cold lava were emerging from the mountain and flowing through the mountain slopes of Mt.Ile Lewotolok (Volcano). 

Buildings were destroyed after flash floods and volcano eruption of the Ile Lewotolok mountain (Photo: BARAKAT)

At the same time, rainstorms happened on Adonara island, which also caused flash flooding and landslides. On April 5, 2021, rescuers recovered 38 bodies and at least five people were injured.

Village in Adonare that covered after landslides (Photo: BARAKAT)

Those disasters were devastating all residential areas and fatalities in 6 villages of Lembata and Adonara Island: Nelelamadike, Waiburak, Oyang Barang, Pandai, Waiwadan, and Duwanur. On April 4, 2021, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) releases updated information about the casualties and affected victims of those disasters.

Source: National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on April 6, 2021, at 03.00 pm.

Gaps to Fill in - Urgent Needs

The disasters made some of the bridges broken which caused all of the access for the villages were closed. There are 13 isolated villages, that is Tanjung Batu, Amakaka, Lamawara, Tanjung Batu, Bunga Muda, Napasabok, Lamagute, Waimatan, Aulesa, Lamaau, Bao Lali Duli, Lamatokan, and Lamawolo. Six of them were affected by flash floods, landslides, and cold lava (mudflow/debris from eruption). 

All of the damaged buildings and closed access make the community in each village can’t fulfill their basic needs. In the middle of sadness and gripping situations, the community needs to survive with everything that is lacking. Undeniably, fear of the people there came from the subsequent flash floods or eruptions that will appear anytime. But hope stills there, which makes the local community still survive, help each other, and work together to protect one another.

They need our help. To survive and withstand their hope.

We Need Your Help

Until now, the local community still survives with support from local NGOs, one of them is our partner, BARAKAT (Lembata Community Development Institution) is a local NGO that doing its best in this emergency response to evacuate the community in each village. After conducting the assessment, some emergency needs to be required:

1. Foods and drinks
2. Medicine and vitamins
3. mask and hand sanitizer
4. Clothes, bedding, and sarong
5. Tent
6. Shelter equipment
7. Clean water

Those needs become IDEP and local NGOs priority to this fundraising.

If you consider donating through direct transfer to our Indonesian bank account, please use this official one:

• Bank                     : BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia)
• Account number   : 0105282577
• Account name      : Yayasan Idep
• SWIFT CODE       : BNINIDJADPS

THANK YOU! Your help, no matter how modest it is, it means a lot to the families.