On 9 September 2020, the UN Human Rights South-East Asia Office took part in the 25^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), which took place online. Among items on the agenda was NHRI engagement in human rights in humanitarian action. The meeting built on a capacity strengthening project for NHRIs which OHCHR and APF began working on in 2019. In a region which is severely impacted by natural and man-made disasters and crises which exacerbate existing human rights concerns and create new ones, NHRIs have a critical role to play in ensuring human rights are at the centre of preparedness, risk reduction and response.