Vatican’s humanitarian agency mobilizes after deadly earthquake in Indonesia
The Church is working to reach displaced communities with emergency care and essential supplies.
The Catholic Church in Indonesia has mobilized relief efforts after an Aug. 15 earthquake devastated communities in the country’s eastern region.
The magnitude-7.7 earthquake killed at least 68 people, injured more than 200, and displaced thousands, according to an Aug. 17 report from Reuters.
Caritas Indonesia, a branch of the Church’s national humanitarian relief agency, is coordinating evacuations and emergency assistance across East Nusa Tenggara under the principle “One Church, One Response,” according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV offered his support in an Aug. 17 telegram, assuring those affected of “his spiritual solidarity and closeness to those suffering the continuing effects of this disaster, particularly for the many displaced and injured.” The telegram continued, saying, “. His Holiness encourages the ecclesial and civil authorities as they continue to provide humanitarian assistance, and prays for the emergency personnel engaged in recovery efforts. In commending the dead to the loving mercy of Almighty God, the Holy Father invokes the divine blessings of consolation and strength.
According to the Vatican News, Caritas Ruteng, the local relief arm of the Diocese of Ruteng, helped move patients out of a regional hospital and set up emergency tents amid concerns over aftershocks and possible damage to the building.
Parishes across the affected dioceses are also assessing damage and helping relief teams identify where assistance is needed most, Vatican News reported. Caritas said immediate priorities include clean water, food, temporary shelter, hygiene supplies, and medical care.
Reuters reported that landslides, damaged roads, and nearly 1,600 aftershocks continued to hinder relief efforts.
Father Fredy Rante Taruk, executive director of Caritas Indonesia, framed the mobilization as an expression of the Church’s presence among communities in crisis.
“Caritas Indonesia is responding swiftly to the earthquake disaster in East Nusa Tenggara,” he said, “as part of the humanitarian responsibility of the Catholic Church in Indonesia.”
