E/C.12/NPL/CO/2 page 5 22. The Committee is deeply concerned that as much as a quarter of the population is undernourished. The seasonal food deficits experienced in most of the mountain and hill districts by the majority who are farmers engaged in low-productivity subsistence farming on small plots of land, are exacerbated by the rigid social structures that prevent the lower castes from benefiting from communal lands and public services and from engaging in other kinds of business activities. Freed bonded labourers, often denied work by the landlords from whom they were freed and unable to claim their entitlements under the Land Reform Act and other programmes intended to help them adjust to free life, are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. 23. The Committee is concerned that although the right to shelter is enshrined in the Interim Constitution of the State party, there is no national housing policy which particularly addresses the needs of the rural poor and the disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups by providing them with low-cost housing units. 24. The Committee is concerned by the denial of access of persons belonging to the lower castes to public wells, thereby directly threatening their right to an adequate standard of living and their right to the highest attainable standard of health. 25. The Committee is concerned that a significant number of the population continues to have limited or no access to health services, resulting in alarmingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality. The Committee is also concerned about the lack of information on the extent of mental health problems, particularly in relation to persons affected by the conflict. 26. The Committee is deeply concerned that the inadequate number, quality, staffing and supplies of health posts and the cost of reproductive health services continue to place women at risk, and that traditional attitudes among some castes and ethnic groups contribute to reproductive health problems of women. 27. The Committee is concerned that in practice primary education is not completely free due to various fees charged to parents, such as for school supplies and uniforms. The Committee notes with concern that the State party has yet to adopt a policy of compulsory education. It further notes the great disparity in enrolment in primary schools between girls and boys and between the Brahmin and other castes, ethnic or indigenous groups, the high repeat and dropout rate among pupils, and the generally low quality of education in public schools. 28. The Committee regrets the lack of clarification about the criteria used by the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities to recognize officially indigenous nationalities and about the implications of official recognition. E. Suggestions and recommendations 29. The Committee encourages the State party to strengthen its cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.