A/HRC/38/50 actions is that the Catholic Church does not allow its seminarians, young priests and nuns to be enlisted in the compulsory military/national service. 73. The Special Rapporteur has also received information that at least two pastors from an unrecognized church have been released earlier this year due to ill health. 74. With regard to freedom of religion, the commission of inquiry on human rights in Eritrea concluded that different attacks on freedom of religion were not random acts of religious persecution but rather part of a diligently planned policy of the Government of Eritrea to eliminate unrecognized religions. The Special Rapporteur would like to add that recent acts of persecution are aimed at further controlling those already recognized. B. Enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights 75. The economic conditions in Eritrea further deteriorated over the past year, with serious implications for the humanitarian situation and the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by all Eritreans. Concerns about acute malnutrition and hunger were raised repeatedly with the Special Rapporteur. These individual accounts are supported by information that is publicly available, including from United Nations agencies. 76. Generally, it appears difficult even for major organizations, including United Nations agencies with a presence in the country, to monitor the humanitarian situation given the lack of reliable data and statistics. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted that the lack of new data remained a major challenge for accurate assessments of the situation of children and women in Eritrea.8 The organization’s 2018 “Humanitarian Action for Children” appeal is illustrative: of the 32 countries on whose behalf UNICEF launched an individual appeal in 2018, Eritrea is the only one for which the agency is unable to provide figures relating to the total number of people, including children, in need.9 77. The Special Rapporteur’s interlocutors have highlighted their concerns about malnutrition and hunger among their family members in Eritrea. These concerns are corroborated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). According to the FAO Global Information and Early Warning System country brief for Eritrea in April 2018, cereal production in 2017 was estimated at below average levels owing to a prolonged dry spell between mid-July and early August 2017, impacting negatively on vegetation conditions and crop development. FAO cites drought as the main cause for the low crop production. For example, in the Mensura and Mogolo subregions (“sub-zobas”) where about 13,500 and 9,900 hectares respectively were planted with cereals, the drought caused a total crop failure, with serious consequences in terms of food security and seed availability for the 2018 season. In these areas, dry conditions also affected livestock rearing activities. Regarding the coastal Northern Red Sea Region, FAO notes that drought conditions resulted in the total failure of barley, wheat and millet crops and up to 80 per cent losses of sorghum crops. 78. Accordingly, on the FAO interactive online map of 29 African countries in crisis requiring external assistance for food, the crisis in Eritrea appears to be related to widespread lack of access to food, with no figures provided.10 79. UNICEF, in its 2018 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal, also raised concerns about the impact of recurrent drought, which particularly affects the rural population, with fewer than 50 per cent of households able to access safe drinking water and only 28 per cent accessing improved sanitation. With reference to data from National Nutrition Sentinel Site Surveillance Systems, UNICEF raises concern about an increase in malnutrition rates over the past few years in four out of six regions of the country, estimating that 23,000 children under 5 years old will need treatment for severe acute malnutrition in 2018. 80. The African Development Bank also highlighted concerns about drought-related impacts in its African Economic Outlook for 2018. The Bank further noted that in 2017 the 8 9 10 12 UNICEF, Eritrea Humanitarian Situation Report, December 2017. The appeal is available from www.unicef.org/appeals/eritrea.html. Available at www.fao.org/giews/country-analysis/map/en/?action=360238-.