are deprived of any assistance. The Committee also notes with deep concern that IDPs are regularly victims of gross human rights and humanitarian law violations committed by all factions engaged in the fighting, including FARDC. The Committee urges the State party through its Ministry for Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs to assume its obligations to protect and respond to the needs of internally displaced persons. 34. The Committee is deeply concerned that 4 million people have died since the conflict began and that most deaths were caused by preventable and treatable illnesses. The Committee expresses grave concern that most of the health districts are no longer functioning, leaving 37 per cent of the population totally deprived of any form of health care. The Committee is also concerned that when structures do exist, due to user fees health care is not readily accessible resulting in alarming levels of infant, under-five and maternal mortality and low vaccination coverage. (article 12) The Committee urges the State party to fulfil its commitment to allocate 15 per cent of its budget to building a sustainable health system as announced in its report to the Committee. The Committee also urges the State party to provide detailed information in its next periodic report on the concrete results achieved through the programmes that the State party is currently implementing. 35. The Committee notes with concern that in spite of the significant increase in budgetary allocations to the education sector, access to primary schools remains fee-paying and therefore unaffordable for many. The Committee also notes with concern that school enrolment of children, especially girls, remains at an extremely low level and that the low level of birth registration in the State party continues to be a major obstacle to the enjoyment of the right to education. The Committee is further concerned that only a small part of the State budget allocated to education is actually being spent on education, especially in priority areas such as educational infrastructure and decent salaries for teachers. In light of its general comment No. 11 (1999) on plans of action for primary education (art. 14), the Committee reminds the State party that article 14 of the Covenant requires each State party which has not been able to secure compulsory primary education, free of charge, to undertake, within two years, to work out and adopt a detailed plan of action for the progressive implementation, within a reasonable number of years, to be fixed in the plan, of the principle of compulsory primary education free of charge for all. The Committee also urges the State party to take all appropriate measures to ensure that births are registered throughout its territory and that the funds allocated to education are actually spent on priority areas such as educational infrastructure and teachers. The Committee requests the State party to provide precise information in its next periodic report on the measures adopted to achieve free and compulsory primary education for all children. 36. The Committee is deeply concerned that the systematic and abusive exploitation of forest resources in the State party has negatively affected the lands and the way of life of numerous indigenous peoples, especially the pygmies living in the Province of Equateur, impeding the enjoyment of their rights as well as their material and spiritual relationship with nature and, ultimately, their own cultural identity. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt legislation and measures to recognize the status of pygmies and other indigenous peoples living in the State party, in order to protect their ancestral lands as well as their own cultural identity. 37. The Committee invites the State party to update its core document in accordance with the requirements of the common core document in the harmonized guidelines on reporting, recently approved by the international human rights treaty bodies. 38. The Committee encourages the State party to consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 39. The Committee invites the State party to consider extending an invitation to the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, theSpecial Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the independent expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation in order to benefit from their expertise in developing policies which would address the concerns of the Committee.