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Deep inequality continues to shape the lives of children in Iraq

Countries
Iraq
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

First comprehensive study on the wellbeing of children in seven years

At the launch of the sixth Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, the Federal and Regional Governments of Iraq, in cooperation with UNICEF, unveil the most comprehensive report on children in seven years, under the auspices of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.

BAGHDAD, 19 November 2018 – A comprehensive survey on children’s wellbeing in Iraq released today found that conflict and inequality remain defining features of childhood. A majority of poor children are not receiving any form of government assistance. Even as the fighting has subsided, 80 per cent of all children experience violence at home or in school.

While almost all children (92%) are enrolled in primary school, just over half of children from poorer backgrounds complete their primary education. The gap widens in upper secondary school, where less than a quarter of poor children graduate, compared to three quarters of children from wealthier backgrounds.

Children’s education needs in Iraq are vast: half of all public schools in the country require rehabilitation and one in three schools run multiple shifts, squeezing children’s learning time. The five governorates with the lowest school enrollment and attendance rates are concentrated in the country’s southern governorates which remain its poorest, and in Anbar and Ninawa – the two governorates that have borne the brunt of the violence of the last few years. Attending school regularly is an essential part of healing for the more than 1 million children estimated to require psychosocial support to cope with the invisible wounds of war.

“The data is the clearest indication yet that the most vulnerable children in Iraq are the ones that are most likely to fall behind,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Iraq. “The hard-won gains to end the conflict in Iraq and transition to a stable future could be lost without additional investments for all children to reach their full potential.”

Iraq has made notable progress on newborn and child health, including maintaining high levels of assisted births and reducing the number of children who die in their first month of life from 20 deaths per 1000 live births to 14 since the last survey was conducted in 2011. But the challenges arise soon after birth: Only 4 out of 10 of children are fully vaccinated, with the poorest children missing out the most. Half of all Iraqi households are at risk of drinking contaminated water and less than 40 per cent of the population has access to drinking water at home, placing children at grave risk of waterborne diseases.

“As Iraq moves past the violence of the last few years and forges a new path for itself, it must prioritize the wellbeing of all children,” said Hawkins. “Children are the future of this country, and a growing gap between the haves and the have nots sows discord and is detrimental for children and for Iraq. With the right commitment and the right policies in place, the Government of Iraq can make a difference.”

To maintain Iraq’s recent gains and protect the rights of all children, UNICEF calls on the Government of Iraq to invest in services that directly benefit those children affected by conflict and poverty, and to work towards putting an end to all forms of violence against children.

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Notes to editors
The MICS data was collected in 2018. Field workers from the Governments of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region surveyed 20,520 households across the country. UNICEF and its governmental partners will unveil the full survey findings, including in education, violence against children, health and water, sanitation and hygiene.

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information, please contact:

Zeina Awad, UNICEF Iraq, zawad@unicef.org +964 782 782 0238
Laila Ali, UNICEF Iraq, laali@unicef.org +964 780 925 8542
Tamara Kummer, UNICEF MENA Regional Office, kummer@unicef.org +962 797 588 550