National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain subsidies for those who cannot get affordable housing. In addition, the State should protect tenants from unreasonable increase in rent values. 7. Regarding the right to adequate food, the State should provide food in a quantity and quality that meet the nutritional needs of individuals. In addition, food should be free of harmful substances, and should be accessible in sustainable ways. Access to food has an economical aspect, namely, the individuals should have sufficient financial capacity that do not threaten meeting the basic needs for food. Therefore, it is required to provide social programs to ensure adequate food for individuals with limited income. On the other hand, everyone should have physical access to food, including infants, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and people with chronic health or psychological problems. 8. Regarding the right to adequate water as one of the pillars of decent life and living, every person should be provided with adequate and continuous personal and domestic water. This water should be safe and free from everything that threatens health, and should be accessible and affordable by all categories. The costs of access to water should not deprive individuals of it. 9. In terms of exercising the right to adequate standard of living in real life, the Ministry of Housing statistics indicate that there is a significant rise in the number of tenders which were proposed and awarded by the Ministry in 2013, compared to the years (2011-2012). This is due to the financial support, whether from the public budget allocated to the Ministry, or through the Gulf Development Program, which caused a remarkable increase in the implementation of residential units. The number of residential units through the years (2012 - 2013) totaled 5431 units distributed across the various governorates of the Kingdom. 10. In a move aimed at reducing the consequences of delay in obtaining the residential services provided by the State, the Government introduced the housing allowance estimated at BHD 100 for each housing service applicant, whose application is five years old. The monthly family income should not exceed BHD 900. This allowance contributed to the improvement of the living conditions of the target groups. 11. In addition, the Government directed considering the humanitarian and urgent cases that require taking immediate decisions to reconsider the old cancelled residential applications. In compliance with these directives, the Ministry of Housing formed a committee to consider those cases, and develop appropriate solutions as required. 12. Despite the efforts made by the Government in the provision of adequate housing, there are still serious impediments that aggravate the housing crisis in the Kingdom, most notably, the steady increase in population, which lead to increased demand for the housing service, along with the waiting period that exceeds twenty years in certain cases, in addition to the high value of rents, which is incommensurate with the financial capacity of a huge segment of the population. 13. NIHR has contacted the Ministry of Housing for the purpose of identifying the efforts and obstacles that limit people’s access to housing services, and the future steps to improve those services. However, the National Institution received no response about these inquires, despite sending repeated correspondences. 14. Based on NIHR belief that the right to adequate housing is one of the most important economic, social, and cultural rights, it issued a statement on December 17, 2013 in response to His Majesty the King speech on the provision of adequate housing. The King directed providing 40,000 residential units on the occasion of the Kingdom 77