“Even in a country overshadowed by daily scenes of violence, these images are
truly shocking,” said UNICEF Representative for Iraq, Roger Wright. “Making
children suffer in this way is totally unacceptable.”
The agency said all Iraqi children are at risk in the current conflict, but
orphans – and those with special needs – are particularly vulnerable, while the
plight of institutionalized children is exacerbated by the decline in qualified
childcare workers.
In a statement, UNICEF welcomed Prime Minister Nuri El Maliki’s call for a
national enquiry into the conditions of children in orphanages, and urged the
Iraqi Government “to enable a rapid assessment of all the country’s orphanages
and juvenile centres as soon as possible.”
UNICEF called for an open monitoring system for the management of children’s
institutions and measures to improve the skills of caregivers and accelerating
community-based childcare alternatives.
At the same time, the agency paid tribute to the “tremendous determination of
the majority of the Iraqi people to extend helping hands and to protect
children” and urged that these efforts continue.
“Caring for children is our primary responsibility as human beings, no matter
what the circumstances,” said Mr. Wright. “I hope these terrible images from the
Baghdad orphanage will spur us all on to do even more for Iraq’s children.”