Aid shortages and fears of starvation as Indonesia reels from deadly earthquake

There are hundreds of disaster victims in Dampek village - but only one doctor.

When a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Flores on Saturday, this area was among the worst-hit. Health facilities were toppled, electricity networks cut, and after two days aftershocks still rattled the makeshift shelters while inside, medical supplies rapidly diminished.

"I am the only doctor here with hundreds of victims. I truly cannot cope," read an urgent appeal from Dr Melinda, the sole physician at the now-decimated Dampek Health Centre, on Sunday.

"I have not had any rest since yesterday because casualties keep arriving around the clock."

It is a problem that is playing out across Flores, as aid disruptions and ongoing tremors fuel fears among thousands of displaced survivors.

Refugees are sleeping outdoors through sweltering days and frigid nights for fear that more buildings may collapse. Tents set up amid the rubble of collapsed hospitals are serving as makeshift emergency rooms for injured patients. And as landslides sever access roads and supplies dwindle in several parts of the island, there are growing concerns about how much longer survivors can hold out.

At least 68 people have been killed and some 5,000 displaced by the earthquake, which struck shortly before 06:00 Saturday (23:00 GMT Friday) at a depth of just 15km.

It is the country's deadliest quake since 2022, when hundreds of people were killed in West Java.

Search-and-rescue teams and volunteers, including medical personnel, are continuing efforts to reach communities that were cut off by Saturday's quake, negotiating access roads that are scarred by landslides or choked with boulders.

Dr Alhamzah, who works at Lalang Health Centre in East Manggarai, told the BBC on Monday that teams from regional hospitals were finally delivering much-needed assistance to places like Dampek - tending to severely injured patients with whatever resources they could muster.

"If a patient's condition is critical, we will refer them to the hospital in Ruteng instead, which is about four hours away," he said.

But Ruteng's hospital is also desperate for help.

"We heard that medical assistance would be provided, but nothing has arrived yet," Rista Mari, a public relations officer at the Ruteng Regional General Hospital, told the BBC. "We hope that assistance will arrive soon."

Early data from Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency indicates that more than 1,000 houses were damaged by the earthquake, along with dozens of health facilities, schools and government offices.

Medical teams are still working to determine the number of casualties, though - and the full scale of the disaster is still being uncovered.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity, lying along the meeting point of three major tectonic plates.

In Flores' westernmost town of Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo National Park and one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations, many survivors have been sleeping outdoors, fearful that if the tremors continue they might be crushed in their sleep.

"The shaking was very scary. My house almost collapsed," said one farmer named Anastasia Imad, from a green emergency tent erected next to her damaged home. "We were worried that the aftershocks would collapse the house while we were sleeping."

Herry Kabut, editor-in-chief of local publication Floresa Media, told the BBC that "each resident has set up their own evacuation post" amid blackouts, landslides and roadblocks.

"So far, many basic necessities such as [basic foodstuffs] and clean water are in great demand," he said. "People have no idea where to evacuate. There's been no government advice. Many have fled to the hills and are starving."

Health services across the island have similarly been forced to move outside and set up emergency tents due to damaged facilities. Ruteng Regional General Hospital's operating room, delivery room, pharmacy, and laboratory were all rendered defunct after the building's roof collapsed.

Elsewhere, in Ngada Regency, local resident Charles Abar told the BBC that health facilities and equipment had been severely damaged and that, as of Sunday night, no medical assistance had arrived.

He believes the government's response hasn't been swift enough.

"I think facilities like emergency tents need to be provided immediately, but I also see that district and regional governments are struggling due to budget constraints, limited supplies, and so on," he said.