United Nations: 7 million Iraqi students do not have access to clean water

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[size=52]United Nations: 7 million Iraqi students do not have access to clean water[/size]

[size=45]Translated by: Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A United Nations report stated that there are more than 7 million students who do not have access to clean water in Iraq, stressing that the country suffers from a deficit in educational buildings estimated at 10,000 schools. The United Nations stated that 20 years after the US invasion of Iraq and the ensuing violence and devastation left most of the country's infrastructure in ruins or neglect, with more than seven million Iraqi children facing difficulty in obtaining clean water in schools.[/size]
[size=45]The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), according to a report translated by (Al-Mada), said that Iraq's 21 million children make up almost half of the country's population.[/size]
[size=45]The report added, “Nearly half of the total number of schools in the country does not have clean, potable water.”[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "There are one million children in need of humanitarian assistance, and nearly two million other children are out of school for major reasons related to child labor."[/size]
[size=45]"The country has faced, over the years, problems of water scarcity, coupled with climate change factors that affect the peace and security of the region," the report said.[/size]
[size=45]And he stated, “The invasion and the ensuing violence thereafter left the country in a state of chaos, while corruption and mismanagement slowed reconstruction efforts.”[/size]
[size=45]The report stated, “There are many schools, hospitals, and other vital infrastructures that are in bad, damaged, or deteriorating condition. This had a huge negative impact on the children.”[/size]
[size=45]UNICEF Relations Officer Alex Ripoll-Salzi said, according to the report, that “50% of schools in Iraq lack basic services such as water, sanitary facilities and hygiene means, which deprives 7.25 million students of access to clean water, and girls constitute 52% of this number.” .”[/size]
[size=45]"Nearly a quarter of young children do not receive routine vaccinations," Salzi added.[/size]
[size=45]Salzi pointed out that "the phenomenon of children moving from the stage of learning to the pursuit of earning constitutes another serious challenge."[/size]
[size=45]The report emphasized that, "During the past year, Iraq was subject to political instability and protests centered in Baghdad and Basra, which affected public investment in social sectors and the provision of services to children and youth."[/size]
[size=45]And he continues, “The formation of a new government headed by Muhammad Shia’a al-Sudani had brought some stability by putting an end to a period of political blockage, instability and lack of food security that lasted for a year and had a great impact on children all over the country.”[/size]
[size=45]And the report goes on, “It is known that 37.9% of children in Iraq live in poverty, and half of them suffer from deprivation of at least two of their basic rights or more.”[/size]
[size=45]And Salzi goes back to saying, “The new Iraqi government has pledged to follow through on its commitment to invest in the welfare of the country's children, and this includes extensive efforts to reach the most affected children, including children who are out of school and who are still living in camp conditions.”[/size]
[size=45]The report called on, “Iraq to work diligently to improve the quality of its educational environment and the infrastructure of its schools in terms of facilities and accessories, the quality of education and teaching, and support for children throughout the country. The lack of school infrastructure is a problem that hinders education.”[/size]
[size=45]According to Salzi, “the high population growth and slow investment in the school infrastructure sector, as well as the damage caused to schools since 2013, led during the year 2017-2018 to a deficit in school buildings estimated at 8,147 schools.”[/size]
[size=45]Salzi added, who relied on sources from the Iraqi Ministry of Education, that "the shortage in the number of schools that the country suffers from may reach more than 10,000 schools."[/size]
[size=45]Salzi pointed out that "the overcrowding in the number of students in schools has led to the daily school hours being in two phases, morning and evening, or in some schools with three times per day."[/size]
[size=45]The report stressed that "the enrollment levels in primary education in the country are high, but with regard to the intermediate and preparatory school stages, they are still neglected and face many challenges."[/size]
[size=45]Salzi says, "The enrollment rates of students aged 12 to 14 years in school reached rates of 57.5% and 33%, respectively."[/size]
[size=45]The report pointed out that “the percentage of girls’ reluctance to go to school is higher compared to boys, and it was 9.6% compared to 7.2% for the primary school stage, 27.7% compared to 14.7% for the intermediate school stage, and 46.1% compared to 34.8% for the middle school stage.”[/size]
[size=45]Salzi went on to say that “as for the stage of early education for children that precedes the stage of primary education, it is very low in Iraq and amounts to only 10%, and this means that one in ten children gets the benefit of early education.”[/size]
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