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February13, 2003
‘Iraqi children at grave risk of starvation, disease, death’
Report by international delegation concludes that Iraq’s children are significantly more vulnerable to the effects of war than they were in 1991, when the Persian Gulf War was fought. In the event of a new war, casualties among children could total in the hundreds of thousands.
An estimated 500,000 Iraqi children are malnourished. Iraq has a one-month supply of food and three-month supply of medicine.
The infrastructure upon which the country’s children depend – health care, water, and sanitation – is badly in need of repair.
Iraq’s population consists of 13 million adults and 13 million children. More than three-quarters of the population live in urban areas.
TORONTO -- An international delegation of experts has released a report from a week-long (January 19-26) fact-finding trip to Iraq. The purpose of the trip was to assess the impact of war on Iraq’s civilian population, particularly children.
Among the team’s conclusions: The threat of war comes at a time when Iraqi children are poorly equipped to withstand further stresses on their physical and mental well-being.
The team has sent its report, “Our Common Responsibility: The Impact of a New War on Iraq Children,” to the U.N. Security Council, as well as the governments of Iraq and Canada. Organizations providing financial support for the trip include: Oxfam Canada, World Vision Canada, War Child Canada, Physicians for Global Survival, United Church of Canada, United Steelworkers, and Development for Peace.
CONTACTS: mediainfo@worldvision.org
