Overview
- A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Flores island on Sunday, August 16, killing about 68–70 people, injuring more than 200, and damaging roughly 4,500 homes, official and news reports say.
- Roughly 19,000 people have been forced into temporary shelters and the provincial governor declared a 14-day state of emergency while nearly 1,000 aftershocks were recorded in the first 24 hours.
- Apple CEO Tim Cook announced on August 18 that Apple will donate to support relief efforts on the ground but the company has not disclosed the donation amount or which organizations will receive the funds.
- Local residents in the hardest-hit areas report urgent needs for food, medicine and clean water and say damage to health clinics, schools and places of worship is hampering relief work.
- Apple’s history of disaster giving and its Employee Giving program, which matches staff donations, mean corporate funds could move quickly to responders but the unnamed recipients will determine how and where aid is used.