On 15 August 2026, a strong earthquake struck the island of Flores in Indonesia, causing damage to homes and infrastructure and forcing thousands of residents to flee their properties. The situation is further complicated by numerous aftershocks. In many places, residents are still afraid to sleep in buildings, even if their homes have not been seriously damaged.

Global Empowerment Mission Europe (GEM Europe), with the support of Royal Caribbean Group, has launched a crisis response and sent a team to the island of Flores to directly support communities affected by the earthquake.

Operational base and temporary warehouse in Maumere

Maumere in the Sikka regency became the main base for our operations. We established a temporary warehouse and logistics centre there, which serves as the support base for the entire relief operation on Flores.

This is where products intended for those affected are gathered, parcels for families are assembled and packed, and transports are prepared before further distributions. Creating such a facility allows us to carry out operations on a larger scale and efficiently direct aid to other areas of the island.

Operations in Sikka Regency

The first phase of the GEM Europe response focuses on Sikka Regency, where we are conducting direct distributions and reaching communities in areas including the Bola, Lela, and Koting districts.

Part of the settlement is located in hard-to-reach areas, far from main roads. In some places, larger vehicles are unable to complete the entire route. Aid then has to be transferred to smaller vehicles, which we use to cover the final stretches of the road and reach the residents directly.

Support for affected families

In our logistics centre, we are preparing parcels with food and essential items intended for households affected by the earthquake.

The parcels contain basic food products, including rice, oil, pasta, sugar, milk, coffee, tea and other food items. These are supplemented by basic hygiene products, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and washing detergents. As part of our response, we are also supplying drinking water.

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Further areas of assistance

At the same time, we are preparing to extend our activities beyond the Sikka regency. Further distributions are planned in the Nagekeo regency, and subsequently in the Manggarai regency, where we want to focus primarily on the northern part of the regency, in the Reo area.

The selection of specific distribution points is preceded by an assessment of the situation and needs, so that aid reaches primarily the communities most affected by the earthquake and those with limited access to support.

Situation on the ground

During field operations, our team met families who, following the earthquake, are living in makeshift shelters made of wooden structures and tarpaulins. Recurring aftershocks mean that some people whose homes are still standing are also afraid to go back inside and are spending their nights outdoors.

The direct presence of our team on Flores allows us to monitor the situation on an ongoing basis, identify needs and adapt subsequent activities to the actual conditions in individual areas.

Let's crack on

GEM Europe’s crisis response in Indonesia is ongoing. From our logistics hub in Maumere, we are preparing further shipments that will reach the next communities in the Sikka, Nagekeo and Manggarai regencies.

Our priority is to reach affected families quickly and directly – including in small, remote and hard-to-reach communities on the island of Flores.

GEM Europe's activities in Indonesia are made possible with the support of Royal Caribbean Group.

Mission partners: