A/HRC/42/34 to face difficulties in crossing the Administrative Boundary Lines. These difficulties were particularly serious in the context of the closure of the lines in early 2019. While those in need of medical evacuations were exceptionally allowed to cross in the case of Abkhazia, delays around both regions were reported. In South Ossetia, the closure reportedly resulted, inter alia, in a sharp reduction in the availability of medicine. 67. More generally, information received by OHCHR indicates that the medical services, infrastructure and qualifications of medical personnel are poor in both regions. 68. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) continued to express concern regarding sexual and reproductive health in Abkhazia, with a lack of services, programmes and information, and a low prevalence of modern contraceptive methods. UNFPA emphasized the continuing negative consequences of the full ban on abortion introduced in Abkhazia since 2016. According to its submission, due to the low use of contraceptive methods, the ban is expected to lead to an increase in illegal abortions, with an ensuing risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. UNFPA highlighted the importance of making family planning services and contraceptive methods widely accessible in the region. 5. Right to education 69. Many of the submissions that OHCHR received contained information on the ongoing restrictions on the use of Georgian as a language of instruction, which continued to particularly affect the communities identifying themselves as ethnic Georgian in Gali, Abkhazia and Akhalgori, South Ossetia. 70. Measures to replace Georgian with Russian as a language of instruction in Georgian schools reportedly persisted in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia. According to the Government of Georgia, 4,000 pupils remained affected in Abkhazia and 100 in South Ossetia. The practice reportedly continued to hamper teachers and students from providing or benefiting from quality education. One submission received by OHCHR referred to the risk of significantly lower learning achievements among Georgian children in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and of a poorly educated generation in both regions in the longer term. 71. The multifaceted restrictions on freedom of movement further hampered access to education. OHCHR continued to receive information about children compelled to cross the Administrative Boundary Line with Abkhazia to attend schools in the Georgian language and finding it difficult, if not impossible, to pursue their education due to much longer travel times and other requirements. According to the Public Defender of Georgia, the students and schoolchildren who were visiting Abkhazia and South Ossetia during the endof-year holidays were not able to return on time to the Tbilisi-controlled territory due to the closure of the Administrative Boundary Lines in early 2019, thus missing classes and examinations. 72. Some non-governmental organizations considered that, as a consequence of the above-mentioned situation, ethnic Georgians may forget their mother tongue or otherwise feel compelled to leave the concerned territories. 6. Property issues 73. No progress was reported on the restitution of, or compensation for, property left behind by internally displaced persons. The effects of the so-called “borderization” and the frequent apprehension of persons crossing the Administrative Boundary Lines continued to hinder and discourage access to property situated across or along the lines. 74. In Abkhazia, the lack of clarity over the necessary identity documents continued to result in further infringements of the right to property, as the “foreign residence permits” do not confer this right. In its submission, the Government of Georgia mentioned a recent initiative in Abkhazia that would deprive the relatives of those who fought on the Georgian side during the past conflicts of the right to claim property. 75. According to two submissions received by OHCHR, the practice of demolishing the ruins of houses belonging to internally displaced persons continued in South Ossetia, particularly in the villages of Eredvi and Ksuisi. 13