A/HRC/5/5 page 16 contamination of drinking water also constitutes a violation of this right. War-torn regions are often poor, agriculture is one of sustenance, and drinking water is in many cases that which is found at surface level. If this source of food or water is contaminated or destroyed, the impact on the enjoyment of the right to food is far more important than in regions in which most of the food is not produced locally. Realization of this right involves the State taking immediate action to provide food to those who no longer have access to their crops, as well as longer-term measures such as a thorough clean-up of contaminated lands and, if necessary, regular assessments of the level of contaminants in crops and in the soil in order to determine if the food grown is suitable for human consumption. 4. Right to work 35. The right to work is enshrined in article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 6 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Every individual has the right to be able to work, allowing him/her to live in dignity. According to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights the right to work is a fundamental right which is essential for realizing other human rights and forms an inseparable and inherent part of human dignity.40 The right to work plays an important role in the survival of an individual as well as that of his family. 36. The right to work can be affected when toxic products are released into the environment during armed conflict. Examples include fishermen unable to work because fish stocks have been decimated or contaminated by oil pollution; agricultural workers who can no longer work on land which has been contaminated; or people working in the tourism industry who are deprived of work because pollution on beaches has affected the industry. Although the State might not be responsible for the act that caused the dispersion of chemicals in the environment, it can be argued that it should be subject to the obligation to establish a compensation mechanism for the loss of employment, and to adopt measures meant to counter unemployment caused by the situation. 5. Right to information and participation 37. Access to information and communication of information about the effects and exact nature of toxic products released into the environment is essential to guarantee certain other rights, such as the right to life, to health and to adequate food. In some cases, lack of information about the danger posed by the release of a toxic product into the environment may exacerbate the adverse effects on human health by preventing affected people from taking the necessary measures that could mitigate those adverse effects. It may be considered that, due to the threat posed by exposure to toxic chemicals, withholding information from the public may violate the right to receive information, enshrined in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. According to one commentator, it is difficult to ascertain whether the right to seek information implies an obligation on the duty bearers in certain cases to take positive 40 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 18 (2005), para. 1.