Displacement increases vulnerability of Iraqi children
On the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, Save the Children urges the UK government and other donor nations to take decisive action to address the desperate plight of Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Thursday 20 March 2008
The mass movement of families - including tens of thousands of children is the largest ever seen in the Middle East since 1948.
"Iraqis continue to face insecurity and danger and as always in a conflict situation it's children and their mothers who are the most vulnerable. Many children have lost their fathers to relentless and horrific violence and huge numbers of women are widowed facing an uncertain future trying to provide for their children. Children are being forced to leave school to find a job to assist their families. Far too little has been done to address the heightened vulnerability of Iraq's children caught up in this massive displacement" said Jasmine Whitbread, CEO, Save the Children UK.
Nada Jasim (not her real name) 14, from Haijat, Baghdad became an orphan when her parents and two brothers were killed in an explosion when they were fleeing sectarian killing in Baghdad to find safety in Syria. Nada is living in Qawala camp, Sulaymaniyah, Northern Iraq, with her aunt and uncle. The camp is home to 3,000 people displaced from across Iraq now living on a rubbish tip.
"I miss my life in Baghdad; I miss my father and my brothers, my friends. We arrived in Sulaymania after travelling in a car for two to three days because there was a shortage of petrol. We had to wait in the car and sleep in the car until we could find more petrol. My situation makes me feel sad - not having my family anymore it makes me feel sad. It makes me happy being here because there are no explosions or killing and there is security. I want to go to school, to read and write. I dream one day of becoming a doctor".
"Many displaced and orphaned children like Nada have experienced incredible distress, the death of family members, the abandonment of homes, the loss of education opportunities, and broken families, schools and lives" said Whitbread "From a humanitarian point of view, a rapid, comprehensive and robust international response is required to ensure they are protected."
What we're doing
Save the Children provides quality formal and informal education programs to tens of thousands of displaced Iraqi children and youth in Jordan and Lebanon. Save the Children UK is working with a network of 31 Iraqi organisations across the country focusing on the rights of children. Save the Children is urging the international community to provide immediate, direct assistance to needy displaced families within Iraq and throughout the region.
More information
- View a snapshot of every day life for the residents of Qawala camp - home to 3,000 Iraqis displaced by war and sectarian violence.
- Listen to Sarah, a teacher who had to flee Baghdad and who now lives in Northern Iraq, explain what life is like for the women and children of Iraq five years on from the war.
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For more information please contact the media unit on: +44 207 012 6841 or +44 7831 650 409 (out of hours). Email: media@savethechildren.org.uk
