E/C.12/GMB/CO/1
Adequate housing and social housing
24.
The Committee regrets the inadequate information provided in the State party’s
report on the situation of housing, as well as on the existence of social housing. In this
respect, the Committee expresses its concern about the lack of clarity on the legal status and
mandate of the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation. The Committee is also
concerned about the:
(a)
Impact of the increasing changes in rainfall patterns on the livelihood and
property of the population, particularly in the northern parts of the country and in urban
slums;
(b)
Reported population movement to unplanned and unregulated settlements in
urban areas, which lack adequate housing and where there is often no access to safe
drinking water and adequate sanitation (art. 11).
Recalling its general comment No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate housing, the
Committee urges the State party to:
(a)
Provide updated information in its next periodic report on access to
adequate housing and on homelessness, as well as on the existence of social housing,
and in this respect clarify the legal status and mandate of the Social Security and
Housing Finance Corporation;
(b)
Adopt effective measures to address the adverse impact of changes in
rainfall patterns on the right to adequate housing;
(c)
Provide statistics, disaggregated by sex and age, on population
movement from rural to urban areas, and take steps to improve the living conditions
of the population in informal settlements, including by facilitating access to safe
drinking water and improved sanitation, while seeking long-term solutions and
ensuring that this population is guaranteed security of tenure.
Water and sanitation in rural areas
25.
While appreciating the progress achieved in improving access to safe drinking water
and sanitation, the Committee is concerned that access by the population in rural areas to
safe drinking water and sanitation remains inadequate (art. 11).
The Committee calls upon the State party to intensify its efforts to ensure universal
access to safe drinking water and to adequate sanitation facilities, particularly in rural
areas, and draws the State party’s attention to the Committee’s general comment
No. 15 (2002) on the right to water and to its 2010 statement on the right to sanitation.
Right to food
26.
The Committee is concerned about the high levels of food insecurity in the State
party and about the prevalence of malnutrition, especially among children under 5. The
Committee is also concerned about the low agricultural production, which generates high
food prices and significant reliance on food imports (art. 11).
The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts, including under
the National Nutrition Policy, to address chronic food insecurity, chronic malnutrition
and the critical nutritional needs of children. The State party should take additional
steps to improve agricultural production, including by ensuring that support to
farmers is provided on a non-discriminatory basis, targeting small-scale farmers in
particular. The Committee draws the State party’s attention to its general comment
No. 12 (1999) on the right to adequate food and to the Voluntary Guidelines to
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