A/HRC/10/19
page 16
70. The Special Rapporteur reiterates his call for the respect of the fundamental rights of the
victims and survivors of the cyclone, in particular children who have lost their parents, women
and the elderly. Titles should be returned to owners of land, and identity certificates, such as
birth certificates and citizenship cards, should be reissued if they have been lost. Communities
should not be relocated without their consent.
71. With regard to the health sector, the Special Rapporteur notes that the right to health is at
risk for many in the cyclone-affected areas. Vulnerable groups, including widows and orphans,
need special attention and protection as laid down by the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and the Convention against All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It has been estimated
that 1 million people in the Irrawaddy Delta are in need of food aid.
72. It is commonly acknowledged that Myanmar receives one of the lowest levels of
international aid. The social development indicators of the country call for concerted action and
support. Urgent measures are required to ensure the most basic human rights of the most
vulnerable people, especially of ethnic communities residing in remote border areas. According
to the Human Development Report 2007, Myanmar is one of the least developed countries,
ranking 132nd of 177 States on the human development index. Under-5 mortality ranks
number 36, meaning that the probability of a child dying before the age of 5 years is roughly 1
in 10. Maternal mortality is among the highest in South-east Asia. Only 43 per cent of children
enrolled at school complete five years of primary education. Inside the country, the poorest of
the poor live in border areas populated by ethnic minorities; for example, according to the
Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey for 2007 of the United Nations Development
Programme, while the figure for people below the official food poverty line is 10 per cent
countrywide, it is 40 per cent in Chin, 21 per cent in northern Shan State and 20 per cent in
eastern Shan State.
73. Serious investment in the public service sector is urgently needed in order to make
affordable and accessible heath care, education and social security coverage available.
74. In Chin State, the evolving food crisis remains of great concern. According to information
received, up to 100,000 people in more than 200 villages are in need of food aid, most urgently
in the southern townships of Matupi and Paletwa.
75. Scarcity of food is also reported in Northern Rakhine State, Kayin State, North and
East Shan State and the cyclone-affected areas. According to reliable sources, nearly 5 million
people are in need of food aid.
76. In Rakhine State, it is said that only 13 per cent of households are able to meet their food
needs for the entire year, and 26 per cent of the population suffers from malnutrition. In a study
of 760 children in December 2007, 26 per cent suffered from acute malnutrition and 1.8 per cent
from severe malnutrition. Food prices increased by over 30 per cent over the past year. Between
70 and 90 per cent of household income is allocated to food purchase. The price of rice, the main
food for the people of Myanmar, increased by 75 per cent over the past year.
77. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about reports of restrictions by the authorities on
farmers to plant and harvest in different areas. The food crisis has been exacerbated by arbitrary
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