Conditions for children in Iraq have worsened, U.N. official says

Increased violence and the deterioration of a government-sponsored food delivery program have resulted in a dire scenario for children in Iraq, as new data shows that health access and nutritional indicators are worsening, The Associated Press reported yesterday.

Since the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra in February 2006, the rise in sectarian violence has had a devastating effect on women and children. Dan Toole, director of emergency programs for the United Nations Children’s Fund, said that since the bombing, women have been afraid to send their children out for school or health check-ups.

Iraq’s state-run food handout program, implemented in 1991 to cope with international sanctions, has deteriorated over the past year.

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