Lessons of 1991
UNICEF noted that child malnutrition in Iraq rose dramatically following the 1991 Gulf War, partly due to the destruction of infrastructure, partly due to poor use of available resources, and partly because of international sanctions, which have drastically reduced most families' purchasing power and thus their protein consumption (a lack of meat in the diet). This explains why 60 per cent of Iraqi women suffer from iron deficiency, which in turn contributes to children being underweight at birth.
"Today, almost a quarter of Iraqi children are born underweight, and a similar number under age five are malnourished," said Carel De Rooy, the UNICEF Representative in Iraq. "That's serious enough. But war adds displacement, interruption of food and water supplies, and outbreaks of disease. Combined, these events would strike a heavy blow to a population of children who are already struggling to survive," he said.
Since 1991 UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Health to establish nutrition rehabilitation centres in children's hospitals. The agency provides training, specialised nutrition supplies, and materials. The effort was expanded with the development of 2,800 Community Child Care Units that screen children for malnutrition to catch signs early and speed children into special care. Primarily based in schools, the units have reached some 70 per cent of children under five.
UNICEF noted that child malnutrition in Iraq rose dramatically following the 1991 Gulf War, partly due to the destruction of infrastructure, partly due to poor use of available resources, and partly because of international sanctions, which have drastically reduced most families' purchasing power and thus their protein consumption (a lack of meat in the diet). This explains why 60 per cent of Iraqi women suffer from iron deficiency, which in turn contributes to children being underweight at birth.
"Today, almost a quarter of Iraqi children are born underweight, and a similar number under age five are malnourished," said Carel De Rooy, the UNICEF Representative in Iraq. "That's serious enough. But war adds displacement, interruption of food and water supplies, and outbreaks of disease. Combined, these events would strike a heavy blow to a population of children who are already struggling to survive," he said.
Since 1991 UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Health to establish nutrition rehabilitation centres in children's hospitals. The agency provides training, specialised nutrition supplies, and materials. The effort was expanded with the development of 2,800 Community Child Care Units that screen children for malnutrition to catch signs early and speed children into special care. Primarily based in schools, the units have reached some 70 per cent of children under five.