Condemn violation of children rights
and demand to end sanction in Iraq

26 July 2000

" Every child has right to have a happy, secure and creative life".

You are aware that more than 750,000 children have already died in Iraq as a result of the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq since August 1990. According to official News Agency "INA" and "World Health Organization", 6,438 children died in March, mainly following diarrhea, breathing problems and malnutrition.

The facts are:

• Children in Iraq have no access to the necessaries of a normal life.

More than 4000 children die in Iraq each month due to the conditions

caused by this sanctions;

• Children in Iraq lost their access to health and all the existing facilities for protection against injury and disease. Millions mostly children are daily facing the hardships of miserable life due to the lack of medicine, clean water and nutrition. Almost all leukemia patients die in Iraq because hospitals are unable to provide adequate treatment, while these patients can be treated elsewhere.
• Instead of leisure, recreation, children are suffering from mental disorders. The rate of mental disorders children increased by 124 per cent from 1990 and 1998. The number of children below 10 suffering from mental distress rose from 42 percent in 1996 to 56 % in 1997;
• Instead of having a healthy and safe environment. Children have no chose but to end in streets. The number of street children increased by 77 percent. Some have turned to crime to survive.

The statistics given by "UNICEF" and the United Nation hardly pictures the reality.

Children first calls on individuals, and groups to resolutely condemn the violation of children and human rights and demand to end sanction in Iraq right now without any preconditions.