A/HRC/29/41 54. The houses demolished in Adi Keyh were considered easy targets, because at the time the evictions took place, a larger proportion of women were at home and in charge of the property and well-being of their families, as most of the men were away on national service duties or in exile. In one instance, a victim who was diabetic collapsed and was almost incapacitated after watching her house be demolished. The military was brutal while carrying out the demolitions, magnifying the terrible shock suffered by the women. Moreover, the women’s precarious situation was exacerbated through depressing news about their family members and loved ones undertaking death-defying journeys across the desert and the sea.31 55. Those who were evicted had to move far away from their sources of livelihood. For many, the idea of having to rebuild their homes is distressing, because of the precarious security of tenure. The destruction of housing and shelter through forced evictions has a chain effect on other rights, which end up being violated in the process and aftermath of forced evictions, including the rights to life, to security of the person, to privacy and to freedom of expression and association, among others. 56. The harrowing reports of victims of the forced evictions reveal distressing tales of serious violations of the fundamental human rights. Many of those evicted have been left homeless and destitute and have been pushed further into poverty, with little or no recourse to any remedy. The evictions were carried out without court orders, due process, legal protection or redress and people were hesitant to contemplate legal action, because of their lack of confidence in the justice system. In addition, children’s education has been disrupted. 57. In summary, the testimonies collected by the Special Rapporteur point to a situation in which: there was little or no dialogue with those affected by the forced evictions; the authorities demonstrated a lack of respect for the fundamental rights of those who were evicted, which in the town of Adi Keyh caused loss of life; there was a lack of any attempt to develop solutions that minimized the scale of evictions and the disruption caused to those who were forced from their homes; excessive military force was used during the evictions and to repress protests, flouting the principle of proportionality in relation to such actions; and the authorities ignored the gendered aspect of the evictions, with women disparately affected. 2. Forced evictions and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 58. The forced evictions described above are in contradiction with and an obstacle to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, especially since an assessment of those goals and targets is under way.32 First, forced evictions render the most insecure households, particularly slum dwellers, even more impoverished, contrary to target 7 (d), which is to achieve, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. Consequently, forced evictions significantly hamper the realization of Goal 1, which focuses broadly on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, including target 1 (a), namely, to halve the proportion of people living on less than one dollar a day. Forced evictions also curtail access to employment, which impedes the achievement of target 1 (b), aimed at achieving full and productive employment and work for all, including women and young people. Children’s education is also affected as a result of forced evictions, hampering the achievement of Goal 2 on achieving universal primary education. 31 32 Interviews conducted by the Special Rapporteur during the period 9 March to 25 May 2015. See UN-HABITAT, Forced Evictions, Global Crisis, Global Solutions, pp. 26–27. 15