Jakarta. A senior official said Monday that Indonesia would decline any foreign assistance following the devastating earthquake that recently struck the island of Flores.

Saturday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake had rocked eastern Flores Island, killing at least 54 individuals. Foreign governments, including Australia and the US, have expressed condolences. While Jakarta is thankful for the support, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi told reporters that Indonesia would not accept any foreign aid.

“Not yet [on accepting foreign aid]. We’ll see. Based on our daily reports from our teams on the ground, we are still able to handle everything well,” Prasetyo said.

“... Including the logistics and evacuation.”

The government is also currently working on development plans for temporary and permanent housing for the affected communities. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa revealed that the national disaster agency BNPB had set aside around Rp 500 billion ($28 million) for emergencies. The government has also allocated around Rp 5 trillion ($280.3 million) for overall disaster management. If the funds are insufficient, the ministry is willing to allocate a larger budget.

“When it comes to disaster needs, we are responsive as long as they are clear with their budget request,” Purbaya said.

In a social media post, Foreign Minister Sugiono expressed Indonesia’s “sincere appreciation” for the supportive messages.

“National search, rescue, and relief efforts are underway across the affected areas. At this difficult time, Indonesia is deeply grateful for the solidarity extended to us by friends and colleagues around the world,” Sugiono wrote.

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