Thursday, April 13 10:31 AM SGT

Suffer the young

IN any armed conflict, women, children and the elderly will always be the prime victims. In the case of Iraq which experienced
two wars - with Iran (1980-88) and the Gulf conflict (1990-91) - and faced comprehensive economic sanctions in the last 10
years, the situation for children especially has become critical.

Families have lost the capacity to provide their children with a sense of security and belonging. Homes are devoid of toys and
books. Loss of income, lack of food and the strain of poverty have led to increased stress and child abuse, according to a
Unicef report.

Ever since they were born, these young children have never seen enough food and clean water.

"A baby whose hunger remains frequently unsatisfied does not develop trust in the world," says the report.

Parents worry constantly about how to cater to the children's needs and are stressed by their inability to deliver.

The shortage of food and water has largely been attributed to the bombings, which damaged Iraq's vital infrastructure such as
water and sewage system. The irrigation system on which Iraq's arid land depended on was badly affected, thus the shortage of
food crops.

Although the Iraqi government provides each family a monthly ration or "food basket" containing rice, flour, sugar, milk,
cooking oil, tea and soap, it is barely enough to last a whole month.

Munirah Saleem, a 13-year-old student, admits that her family is struggling to survive every month.

"I come from a family of three children. My sister is 20 years old and my brother is 11. My father can only find a job as a
labourer.

"The food basket is enough for only 10 days. Towards the end of the month I go to school without food."

To buy basic necessities, the rich are selling their personal belongings such as carpets, crystals and jewellery. Those with
nothing to sell trade items such as milk from the food basket, at the expense of young children's health.

Hence malnutrition is rampant, affecting every fourth child under five years old. According to Unicef, every one in 10 children
will not survive.

What is worrying, continues the report, is that malnutrition, particularly in early age, threatens to damage the child's physical and
cognitive capabilities, thus reducing their normal development from the beginning.

There are also increased cases of congenital and acquired childhood disabilities, caused by factors like perinatal complications
and high fevers that go unattended.

Malnutrition continues to affect their learning ability when they get older. They find it hard to concentrate and memorise their
school work and this is reflected in their educational progress.

As much as homes are no longer conducive to children's psychological development, schools are no better. Like the other
infrastructures, they are falling apart as repair work and maintenance have been forbidden by the sanctions.

Children are lucky if they have desks and chairs. Many schools have holes in ceilings and broken windows. The children
therefore suffer cold draughts during winter and sandstorms in summer.

And yet, only a decade ago, this country had a high standard of education which was provided free up to university level.

Students were given free books, stationery, uniforms and in some schools, even food. Those who obtained a master's degree
or a Ph.D were rewarded with a Mercedez Benz.

Now an alarming number are dropping out of schools. A Unicef report cites a 13.9 per cent drop in primary school enrolment
in southern and central Iraq between 1990-98, and a 14.7 per cent drop in vocational preparatory school enrolment.

Children as young as four are already involved in income-generating activities to help their families. Many have resorted to living
in the streets and committing criminal acts in order to survive.

The number of male children referred to rehabilitation centres has increased five-fold since the early 90s. Among female street
children, the number of beggars has increased.

"Such problems, once they crop up, are very difficult to redress," warns Anupama Rao Singh, the Unicef representative in Iraq.
..TX: Tomorrow: The growing number of disenchanted youth. ..TX: * The writer was part of a working group that
accompanied Datuk Seri Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali to Iraq from March 25-29 to observe the effects of the sanctions.