A/HRC/26/45 found reading religious books are punished by detention in conditions which can amount to torture. As indicated above, even clerics are required to perform national service and carry arms, a situation that has adversely affected religious institutions, both churches and mosques, and has also proven to be a traumatizing experience for them. The conscription of clerics and laypersons has occasioned a personnel shortage for pastoral work. 8. Violations of economic, social and cultural rights 63. Right to work: Technically speaking, all those in national service are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, even if they are deployed for service in civilian spheres of life. The Ministry of Education is involved in the deployment of civilian jobs, as such assignment depends on the level of education of the individual involved. 64. The salary and allowances for dependants during the national service is so low that recruits are unable to fend for themselves or support their families. The monthly pay during the initial six months of military training and the subsequent 12 months of active service is 50 ERN, with an additional 45 ERN provided to supplement food rations.19 Conscripts are paid 450 ERN during national service deployment, after the initial 18 months. Former fighters have a different salary scale, starting with 750 ERN, while a major, for example, can earn 1,700 ERN/month. If a conscript was employed in the civil service before entering military service, he would receive his civil service salary, which is pegged to a different scale; however, even those may fall short of the requirement of “just and favourable conditions of work”, as provided for under article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 65. Right to housing, health care and food: Living conditions of conscripts are harsh. They face extreme weather situations without adequate housing or clothing adapted for the prevailing climatic conditions. Food rations are inadequate, in both quality and quantity. While medical facilities are available in the barracks, there is a lack of medication and trained personnel. For those in remote locations, referral to hospitals in main towns can take time. Eritrea is thus not meeting its obligations under article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which provides for the right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to adequate food, clothing and housing, for everyone, including members of the military. 66. Right to marry and found a family: The low pay and the indefinite nature of national service have an incidence on the right to marry and found a family, a fundamental right protected under article 23 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 10 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Many national service conscripts are unmarried as they have been in service throughout their working life. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the salary of a conscript meets the requirements of article 23, paragraph 3, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity. 67. To put things in perspective, in Asmara, access to water and electricity remain a challenge, as taps regularly run dry and water can cost 10 ERN per barrel. The electricity bill can reach 450 ERN a month, even if power cuts are recurrent and can last for several hours daily. The price of food is soaring: one quintal (about 100 kg) of teff flour, which is used to make injera, the local staple bread, costs over 10,000 ERN. Other items, such as kerosene for cooking, are unavailable. The rent for a two-bedroom house can start at 1,500 19 The official exchange rate as at 9 April 2014 was 1 US$ = 14.88 ERN; however, the black market rate is 1 US$ = 45 ERN. 13