Weeks after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s most powerful eruption to date, displaced villagers in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara Province say they are still struggling to access basic necessities in overcrowded emergency shelters.

Agata Una Rajan, one of dozens of evacuees from a village near the volcano’s hazard zone, described the harsh conditions she and her family face daily. “There are 46 people in this tent, but the rice we’ve been receiving isn’t enough,” she said. Forced by necessity, Agata makes periodic trips back to her ash-covered home to cook food before bringing it back to the camp.

Agata and others have been living in displacement since November, when the volcano first began erupting. The recent eruption on Tuesday marked the most intense event yet, sending a column of ash 11 kilometers into the sky and disrupting regional air travel.

Another evacuee, Margaretha Ose Bedin, echoed Agata’s concerns, saying life in the shelter is safer but far from livable. “I feel calmer here because we’re away from the volcano, but now we can’t work, and our children can’t go to school,” she said. “There’s no privacy, no comfort.”

Flights Resume After Major Disruption

The eruption grounded air traffic across the region, with Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport canceling 87 flights on Wednesday — 66 of them international. Destinations affected included Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

By Thursday, normal operations had resumed at Bali’s airport, according to Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, an official overseeing the site. Airlines such as Virgin Australia, JetStar, Malaysia Airlines, and Singapore Airlines resumed scheduled services, with Qantas and AirAsia also confirming restored operations.

Two other airports in East Nusa Tenggara province reopened Thursday, though Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in Maumere remains closed until further notice due to lingering volcanic ash in the air.

Ongoing Volcanic Threat and Human Toll

According to Indonesia’s volcanology agency, Mount Lewotobi has erupted 427 times so far in 2025, making it one of the most active volcanoes in the country this year. Tuesday’s blast was the largest since the string of deadly eruptions in late 2024, which claimed at least nine lives.

Authorities have evacuated residents from three of the villages located closest to the volcano. Still, many displaced families report inconsistent aid and a lack of coordinated support for daily essentials like food, hygiene supplies, and education for their children.

Living on the Edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire

Indonesia, home to over 120 active volcanoes, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire — one of the most seismically active zones on Earth. As eruptions grow more frequent, disaster mitigation agencies are grappling with the dual challenge of managing geological threats and maintaining adequate humanitarian response.

For villagers like Agata and Margaretha, the danger may have passed for now — but survival remains a daily struggle.