A/HRC/7/5 page 7 Philippines 12. The Special Rapporteur applauds the Supreme Court’s recent decision to lift its temporary restraining order on the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR) for the marketing of baby foods introduced by the Ministry of Health. The Rapporteur has been following this situation for the past two years.1 Although the Court has not endorsed a total ban on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, it has reaffirmed Government’s primary role to regulate, screen and decide on the advertising and promotional materials of these products. In addition, the Court has asserted that the International Milk Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes must also protect and promote the nourishment of children above 12 months old, contrary to the companies’ claim that its coverage is limited to children between 0 and 12 months of age. B. Situations of special concern Southern Africa 13. The Special Rapporteur continues to be deeply concerned about the food crises that currently threaten the lives of millions of people across southern Africa (see A/62/289). A recent FAO/WFP assessment confirms that an estimated 2.1 million people in southern Africa require food aid, a number that could double by early 2008. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned that funding shortfalls are forcing WFP to scale back operations across the region. In Zambia, WFP must reduce food assistance to 500,000 vulnerable children, widows, orphans and HIV/AIDS patients.2 In Namibia, WFP has cut rations to 90,000 orphans and vulnerable children, jeopardizing their access to sufficient food.3 Colombia 14. The Special Rapporteur has received alarming information which claims that in Colombia, private agro-industrial companies cultivating African palm oil, including recently for use as a biofuel, are preventing displaced communities from recovering their land.4 For example, in the Jiguamiandó and Curvaradó communities in the north-western department of Chocó, private companies cultivating African palm started establishing this plantation on the land soon after its inhabitants were displaced in 1996 as a result of a major military campaign by the army and paramilitary forces against guerrilla groups.5 These companies have continued to expand their 1 See A/HRC/4/30. 2 IRIN, Critical funding shortfall threatens United Nations food lifeline for 500,000 Zambians, 27 February 2007. 3 IRIN, Namibia: WFP cuts rations for orphans, 12 January 2007. 4 International Displacement Monitoring Centre, Resisting Displacement by Combatants and Developers: Humanitarian Zones in North-West Colombia, November 2007. 5 Ibid. Also Darío Fajardo Montaña, “El desplazamiento forzado, ¿palanca del ‘desarrollo’?”, Nación, 27 November 2005; Human Rights Everywhere and Diócesis de Quibdó, El cultivo de la palma africana en el Chocó, 2004.