ILO and UNICEF call for joint work to create a protective and inclusive environment for children in Iraq

Baghdad-INA
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) revealed on Sunday, a statistic of Iraqis at risk of  poverty.

The UNICEF stated in a joint statement with the International Labor Organization (ILO), followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that " ILO and UNICEF are calling on stakeholders to work together to create a protective and inclusive environment for children in Iraq. Children make up the majority of 4.5 million Iraqis who are at risk of poverty due to impact of conflict and COVID-19, with one in two children (48.8%) facing high risk of multiple deprivations in education, health, living conditions, and financial security.”
 
“Child labour has been on the rise in Iraq in recent years due to armed conflict, displacement, socio-economic challenges, and the pandemic; children were moved to remote learning, increasing the risk of drop out from school and entering the workforce. Scaling-up social protection and promoting equal access to quality social services, with a focus on education, health, and child protection are central policy directions to respond to drivers of child labour,” the statement included.
 
“The Fifth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour held in Durban last month concluded with a call for urgent action, stating that “the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, and food, humanitarian and environmental crises threaten to reverse years of progress against child labour,” the statement added.
 
The statement also emphasized that “Child labour, especially its worst forms, deprives children of their childhood and their education. It increases their risks to serious hazards, illness, and exploitation”.