United Nations Radio

The United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, is scaling up its Iraq emergency operation in order to reach more vulnerable children in the country. UNICEF says violence, isolation and lack of opportunity has put Iraqi children at greater risk of exploitation and abuse. From Geneva Patrick Maigua sent us this report.

UNICEF says after five years of conflict, Iraqi children are in peril, denied the right to safety and social protection. More than 800,000 Iraqi children are unable to go to school and only 40 per cent can access safe water. Through its Immediate Action for Vulnerable Children and Family or IMPACT programme, UNICEF aims to provide assistance to over 360,000 Iraqi children this year and ensure they have access to health care, vaccination, are protected against malnutrition and are able to receive emergency medical treatment. The programme also aims to provide safe water, emergency education and specialized care for abused and vulnerable children and women. Sigrid Kaag is UNICEF's regional director in charge of Middle East and North Africa.

"In response to the emergency situation, UNICEF has reflected and worked with partners to what we feel will better address the needs as we assess them, as we see them. This is where IMPACT Iraq comes from today. It is an adaptation I would say to the security situation on the ground to the conditions, to allow us to have better access through a number of NGO partners as well as communities to address needs in education, health water and sanitation but also protection."

It is estimated that over 1.7 million Iraqis have been internally displaced since the beginning of 2006 with half of them being children. UNICEF says Iraqi children should not be left to pay the price for their country's conflict. Patrick Maigua UN radio Geneva.