Ahmad Zaki Ali, Gerak Bareng founder, dies during NTT earthquake relief mission

Ahmad Zaki Ali, the founder of the humanitarian community Gerak Bareng, passed away due to exhaustion while performing relief duties following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur.

Ali died on Friday, August 21, 2026, while distributing aid from Reo, Manggarai Regency, to Satar Padut Village in East Manggarai Regency. His body was evacuated by a Basarnas Dauphin helicopter to Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo before being transported to a hospital for processing and eventually to his home in Jakarta.

Ali was a prominent figure in Indonesian humanitarian circles, having co-founded Gerak Bareng in 2016 following a major fire in Simprug, Jakarta. The organization focused on crowdfunding and direct community assistance to rebuild homes for those in need.