The Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) has begun expediting plans to restore homes and public facilities damaged by the severe flooding in Aceh, ensuring rehabilitation will proceed immediately once emergency operations wind down.
Imran, the ministry’s Director General for Rural Housing, said in a statement on Saturday that the acceleration is designed to run parallel to emergency response efforts.
“This acceleration is not intended to bypass the emergency phase, but to run in parallel so there is no gap when rehabilitation and reconstruction begin,” he emphasized.
The rapid move follows major floods that devastated parts of Aceh. Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait has held intensive coordination meetings with agencies, including the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), since Tuesday, December 12.
Maruarar stressed that rehabilitation and reconstruction must begin during the emergency period to enable the quickest possible recovery for affected communities.
As part of early actions, he established a Post-Disaster Acceleration Task Force, consisting of three teams assigned to Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
Teams deployed to North Sumatra and West Sumatra have already departed for field assessments, but deployment to Aceh was delayed due to limited flight availability.
Upon arrival, Imran—accompanied by Hari Rubiyanto, Director of Rural Housing Development Systems and Strategies, and Salamuddin Daeng, Special Staff to the Housing Minister—held a strategic recovery meeting with the Aceh provincial government.
Attendees included Marlina Muzakir, wife of the Aceh governor, and T. Aznal Zahri, head of the provincial Office of Public Housing and Settlement Areas.
PKP officials apologized for the unannounced visit, explaining that the urgency of the minister’s directive required immediate action.
“We apologize for the sudden visit, and we are here under the Housing Minister’s special instruction to ensure that acceleration efforts are carried out in a measured and prompt manner,” Imran stated.
