A/HRC/39/55 Rapporteur reiterates his view that participation should not be regarded solely as a choice when financial and human capacities are available, but should rather be integrated into humanitarian assistance and development projects as a human right. C. Enabling return through the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 51. Safe, inclusive and sustainable access to services, including water and sanitation, is a key factor in motivating forcibly displaced persons to return to their place of origin, when they wish to do so, and is an integral part of early recovery priorities that are sustainable. Return after a protracted period of displacement is a challenge; indeed, return without stable security and access to basic services could lead to the recurrence of forced displacement. In 2016, 552,200 refugees voluntarily returned to their countries of origin, most to Afghanistan. The majority of Afghan returnees cannot go back to their place of origin because of armed conflict and lack of access to land, housing or basic services, and therefore have to settle elsewhere. Many returnees have once again been internally displaced because of insecurity, armed conflict and harsh living conditions. In one study, only one third of internally displaced persons interviewed had access to electricity, an adequate water supply and sanitation facilities.43 In Yemen, most of the 1 million returnees have returned to their former residence; although many homes have been damaged. returnees are generally unable to afford repairs. They remain vulnerable, and require support to meet their basic needs, together with medium-term support to ensure access to a livelihood and basic services that will make their return sustainable. Drinking water has been identified by many returnees as a priority needs.44 52. The return of refugees and internally displaced persons can put pressure on already scarce resources and fragile water and sanitation infrastructures, and can itself become another cause of conflict and tension with the local communities. In the returning process, States and humanitarian and development actors should ensure that planning for the progressive realization of the human rights to water and sanitation is inclusive, thereby preventing tension and further conflict with local communities. IV. Building resilience and preparedness 53. Access to water has often been a major cause of armed conflict, other situations of violence and social unrest in many places. The impact of the current armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has been exacerbated by severe water shortages due to multi-year droughts since the mid-2000s, combined with other factors, such as long-standing political, religious and social ideological tensions. This has led to the displacement of large numbers of people from rural to urban centres, in turn contributing to political instability, violence and social unrest, in conjunction with food insecurity for more than 1 million people (A/HRC/37/30, para. 12).45 54. Emergencies often hit the marginalized hardest, as they have few means to mitigate the impact by themselves and often have no other option but to flee their homes. Strengthening the framework of the human rights to water and sanitation could reduce and mitigate the risks of displacement when emergencies arise. Many human rights issues — equality, the right to housing, the right to participate, the right to information, and access to justice, which all contribute to the resilience of people when they are combined with the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation. There is increasing evidence that violations of economic, social and cultural rights are causes, consequences and often even predictors of an escalation in human rights violations, violence and conflict (A/HRC/37/30, 43 44 45 14 World Bank and UNHCR, Research Study on IDPs in urban settings – Afghanistan, 2011. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview: Yemen, December 2017. See also Peter H. Gleick, “Water, drought, climate change, and conflict in Syria”, Weather, Climate, and Society, vol. 6, No. 3 (July 2014).