Children are the Future of Iraq, One in Four Lives in Poverty

One in four Iraqi children lives in poverty, and four million children need assistance after the country’s war against Islamic State (IS) militants, UNICEF reported on Sunday.

The United Nations confirmed that 150 attacks on educational institutions and 50 attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers have occurred since 2014, according to UNICEF. Half of Iraq’s schools need repairs, and more than 3 million children have had to drop out of school.

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Iraq declared victory over IS in December, reclaiming all territory occupied by militants in 2014 and 2015, and is seeking $100 billion in foreign investment in transportation, energy, and agriculture as part of a plan to rebuild parts of the country and revive the economy. Kuwait will host an international conference on the reconstruction of Iraq from February 12 to 14.

“Children are the future of Iraq,” said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

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“The Kuwait conference for Iraq is an opportunity for world leaders to show their willingness to invest in children, and through investing in children, we want to invest in building a stable Iraq.”

The United States, which leads the international coalition that provided Iraq with crucial air support in the fight against IS, does not plan to donate money at the conference in Kuwait, U.S. and Western officials said.