A/HRC/24/40 expressly required by law. There is a clear need to bring the conditions of detainees in Somalia up to the minimum international standards. 9. Rights of disengaged fighters and persons associated with armed conflict 31. Many of those deserting from warring factions, surrendering to Government forces or escaping from the war voluntarily often find themselves in difficulties as a result of distrust and doubts about their past activities. They often face obstacles verging on violations of their basic human rights. Their situation needs to be dealt with properly under human rights principles. 32. The Government has developed a draft national programme for the treatment and handling of disengaged combatants and youth at risk in Somalia. However, their practical situation calls for immediate action, pending consideration and development of a State policy and legal framework. It is equally important that all parties comply with the observance of human rights and humanitarian law, and ensure that protection at the front line of disengagement is not put aside until a formal policy/legal framework has been worked out. 10. Right to food 33. Severe and recurring drought conditions exacerbated by conflict have resulted in severe food insecurity for Somalis. Images of skeletal children holding the hands of their helpless parents standing in the queue for food aid still haunt the world. The Government must assume leadership to ensure that this does not happen again and that all the necessary measures are in place to deal with the situation. 11. Right to health 34. Years of war and institutional decline have resulted in a very poor health situation in Somalia. The population is largely destitute and almost totally dependent on remittances and international aid flows, and has limited access to the health system. The need to repair the dilapidated infrastructure, build new structures, equip them properly, and have doctors, nurses and other support staff properly trained throughout the country cannot be overemphasized. 12 Right to education 35. Somalia has one of the lowest enrolment ratios in primary education in the world. Persistent insecurity, economic collapse and lack of governance, especially in the southern regions, have greatly hampered the development of the education sector. Almost two generations of Somali children have been denied the benefit of formal education. Special attention is required to promote the right to education for all. New schools and institutions of higher education will have to be opened and damaged ones rebuilt. 13. Right to work and livelihood 36. The unemployment rate for youth in Somalia is one of the highest in the world. Women experience higher unemployment than men. The majority of unpaid family workers are young women who are mostly forced to take up traditional occupations due to entrenched traditional gender roles. A higher labour force participation rate for youth further reflects lost opportunities for many who might otherwise attend school and acquire skills and education that could raise their future productivity and potential earnings. Youth aged 14 to 29 face challenges hampering their transition from school to the labour market. The proportion of youth who neither work nor go to school increase with age. This jobless 7