Aceh Transition Period Ends, Task Force Head Tito Emphasises Key Points
Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian, in his capacity as Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra, has reminded district and city governments in Aceh to adjust the determination of post-disaster handling stages to the conditions in their respective regions.
Tito expressed his appreciation to the Provincial Government of Aceh and related parties who initiated the meeting to end the emergency transition period. According to him, the forum is important to ensure the post-disaster handling process proceeds according to the stages and needs of the community on the ground.
He explained that post-disaster handling consists of three main stages: the emergency response period, the transition period, and rehabilitation and reconstruction. During the emergency response period, the main focus is on saving lives, evacuation, and handling emergency conditions. Subsequently, the transition period is directed at restoring the function of affected infrastructure and basic services.
‘Roads are made functional again, bridges are made functional, although they may not yet be permanent,’ he said during the virtual Meeting on the Termination of the Emergency Transition Period for Disaster Management in Aceh on Tuesday (28/7/2026).
Meanwhile, the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase is a more permanent development phase. In this stage, repairs are carried out not only to restore previous conditions but also to make them better, such as being more resistant to disaster risks.
Because it is permanent and uses a special budget, the administrative and procurement processes in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase must follow normal provisions as in general development implementation. This differs from the emergency response and transition periods, which emphasise speed.
Tito revealed that Aceh Province can declare the end of the post-disaster handling transition period. However, he reminded that conditions in each district and city are not always the same, so the determination of handling status needs to be adjusted to the conditions of each area.
‘But for districts/cities that consider they still need transition conditions or perhaps are still in an emergency response condition, do not force them to be designated as a rehabilitation and reconstruction period,’ said Tito.
According to him, the characteristics of disasters in several areas of Aceh differ from disasters that occur once and then end. In some areas, the threat of floods and landslides can still occur repeatedly.
Therefore, Tito assessed that areas still facing high risks need to be given room to maintain the transition period, and even re-establish an emergency response status if necessary. This approach is considered important so that handling can be carried out more quickly and in accordance with the needs of the affected community.