A/HRC/13/21 northern Mitrovica/Mitrovicë, including children, remain exposed to toxic lead waste, despite some progress in relocating them to safer areas. 30. It is commendable that the Government of Serbia has increased measures to improve the living and economic conditions of internally displaced persons who have not returned. However, vulnerable persons who have resided in collective centres for more than a decade and many Roma, particularly those without a registered place of residence, remain in a very difficult situation. Uganda 31. From 13 to 17 July 2009, the Representative carried out a follow-up working visit to Uganda (A/64/214, paras. 70–73). The majority of the formerly 1.8 million internally displaced persons have returned to their villages and the Representative expressed his appreciation to the Government for its continued efforts. Making the returns sustainable, however, remains a challenge that must be addressed by quick impact recovery and development projects requiring the strong support of development agencies and donors. Despite the significant progress made thus far, the fate of a considerable number of especially vulnerable individuals left behind in camps with urgent humanitarian needs, as well as the lack of synchronization between the phasing out of humanitarian assistance and the undertaking of development activities, continues to be a source of concern. Somalia 32. From 14 to 21 October 2009, the Representative visited Somalia (A/HRC/13/21/Add.2). He was appalled by the degree of violence that the civilian population and in particular internally displaced persons in south and central Somalia suffer. Serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are committed in an environment of impunity and are a major cause of displacement. Over 1.5 million internally displaced persons, the vast majority of whom are women and children, remain highly vulnerable and exposed to serious human rights violations, in particular sexual violence, during flight and in settlements of internally displaced persons. Many try to reach safety in urban centres in Puntland or Somaliland, putting enormous strain on the limited existing resources and basic services available there. Shrinking humanitarian space, severe constraints on humanitarian access, security risks for humanitarian workers, and the sharp decline in donor contributions exacerbate this long-standing and neglected humanitarian crisis. Visit to Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as follow-up to the 2008 mission to Georgia 33. From 5 to 6 November 2009, the Representative visited the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia (A/HRC/13/21/Add.3) to follow up on his mission to Georgia in October 2008 (A/HRC/10/13/Add.2). Internal displacement from, and within, the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia was linked to serious violations of international humanitarian law, in particular the systematic destruction and looting, on ethno-political grounds, of a number of ethnic Georgian villages, but also indiscriminate attacks in and around Tskhinvali. International humanitarian access and freedom of movement across the de facto border remain the most pressing challenges. Comprehensive solutions have to be found that provide for voluntary and dignified return and restitution of property and take into account the recent and past conflicts. 34. The Representative acknowledges with appreciation that since his mission to Georgia in 2008, the Government has adopted and started to implement an action plan to improve, in particular, the housing conditions of the long-term internally displaced who still live in collective centres. GE.10-10161 9