Unrest in Iraq

The protracted and growing civil unrest in Iraq is having an extremely adverse impact on Iraqi civilians, particularly the children. On a daily basis, Iraqi children are directly and indirectly affected by ongoing violence. The mounting numbers of civilians who are losing their lives seems to be increasing in an alarming manner.

The wounds inflicted by conflict on children are immense. Armed conflict affects all aspects of child development - physical, mental and emotional. Moreover, thousands of children have suffered from the loss of one or both parents, figures who typically play an integral role in a child’s well-being and healthy development.

Equally disturbing is the fact that due to civil upheaval, other forms of protection of orphan children, particularly government and community support systems have either deteriorated or not been developed. The special needs of adolescents are also being overlooked during this tumultuous period.

In addition to suffering from the devastating effects of losing one or both parents, the current unrest in the country is having extremely destructive effects on the basic human rights (including education, health, nutrition, and water) of Iraqi children.

Key Statistics

The rate of malnutrition among Iraqi children has almost doubled since April 2003.

25 percent of primary school aged children in Iraq do not attend school...nearly four times the average of the Arab world.

Over 200 schools have been destroyed in the conflict and thousands more have been looted.

There are about 6,880 deaths of children under the age of five every year in Iraq.

In 1991, there were 1,800 health-care centers in Iraq. Over a decade later, barely half remain and almost one-third of those remaining require major rehabilitation.

The mortality rate of Iraqi women during pregnancy and childbirth has reached three times the rate reported during the period between 1989 and 2002.

20 percent of urban residents and 60% of rural residents in Iraq do not have access to clean water.

One in four people in Iraq are now dependent on food aid.