A/HRC/13/73 3. Right to food 45. The effective enjoyment of the right to food remains a serious problem throughout the country. Natural calamities, including drought, landslides and floods, contributed to a significant decline in local food production in both 2008 and 2009, resulting in severe food shortages in several hill and mountain districts. Lack of infrastructure in the remote hill districts and frequent enforced general strikes (bandhs) imposed by political actors have further complicated food distribution, leaving the local population more vulnerable to hunger. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), approximately 3.7 million people are food insecure throughout the country. 3 The affected population has resorted to severe and unsustainable coping mechanisms, including skipping meals, removing children from school and selling assets. 46. Although food insecurity persists throughout the country, certain groups have been affected more than others. They include marginalised and vulnerable groups such as Dalits, indigenous peoples, former bonded labourers, persons with disabilities and people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. In its proposed budget for the fiscal year 2009/10, the Government announced special programmes to address food shortage in 23 affected districts in the hill regions, but a delay in approval of the budget until the end of November 2009 meant that many of these communities continued to remain at high risk of severe food shortages. 4. Access to justice 47. Members of marginalized groups continue to face obstacles in accessing justice, largely as a result of discrimination. Main challenges include the obstacles faced by victims and their families when they attempt to register a formal complaint with the police. Complainants are often encouraged, and in many cases coerced, to reach a settlement outside the formal justice system, even in cases of serious crime. The police often play a primary role in these informal settlements, which tend to favour wealthier individuals in positions of influence. Even when victims succeed in filing a formal complaint, in many cases they are forced to withdraw the complaint by community leaders or political parties in the name of maintaining community harmony. 48. Reports of violence against women have been increasing, with a surge in cases of dowry deaths and abuse of women accused of practicing witchcraft. In many communities, legislative weakness and inadequate policing continue to make prosecutions for domestic and sexual violence extremely difficult. To address one of the worst forms of violence against women, OHCHR and the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers jointly launched a short television segment highlighting the issue of violence against women accused of practicing witchcraft. 49. The new act on domestic violence removes the previous 35-day statute of limitations on filing a case of rape, but this has yet to be implemented in practice. In response to increasing reports of violence against women, OHCHR and the Office of Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers conducted a joint field mission to the five most affected districts in the eastern region in July 2009. Following the visit and other expressions of concern, the Prime Minister announced a year-long campaign to combat violence against women which was launched on 25 November. OHCHR welcomes this promising initiative, while noting the magnitude of the challenge. 3 WFP Nepal, Nepal Food Security Bulletin, Issue 25, July-October 2009. 11