Komnas HAM urges human rights-based rehabilitation in Aceh

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is urging the acceleration of rehabilitation and reconstruction following the ecological disaster in Aceh to be carried out from a human rights perspective, including ensuring the right to adequate housing for affected communities.

Komnas HAM member Atnike Nova Sigiro stated that post-disaster recovery cannot be limited to focusing solely on physical construction but must also ensure the fulfilment of basic rights for affected communities.

“The acceleration of rehabilitation and reconstruction in Aceh cannot be interpreted merely as the distribution of physical social assistance, but rather as a tangible manifestation of human rights recovery for residents in Aceh,” said Atnike in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Komnas HAM, together with the Aceh Provincial Komnas HAM Secretariat, held a dissemination of Standard Norms and Regulations (SNP) Number 11 on the Right to Adequate Housing, as well as a consultative discussion on accelerating rehabilitation and reconstruction following the ecological disaster in Aceh that occurred in December 2025.

In the event, Komnas HAM emphasised seven important aspects of the right to adequate housing that should serve as a reference for the government in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process, namely legal tenure security, availability of services and facilities, affordability, habitability, accessibility, location, and cultural adequacy.

The consultative discussion, which involved local government and civil society, also found ongoing gaps between central and regional government policies in implementing rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Komnas HAM noted that vulnerable groups, including communities living around forest areas and people with disabilities, still face obstacles in accessing disaster recovery programmes.

In the forum, participants also stressed the importance of evaluating the root causes of the issues and mitigation systems to prevent similar disasters from recurring in the future.

Komnas HAM urged the central and regional governments to build a more responsive disaster response system so that affected communities can promptly receive assistance and recovery when disasters occur.