Children in the Iraqi Media:
The Reporting of Iraqi Children's Issues and Rights
January 1 – 7, 2012
UNICEF in the Iraqi Media:
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The opening of four centers for the accelerated education in Baghdad
UN in the Iraqi Media:
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Ministry of Immigration finishes 250 low-cost houses in Kerbela
Children in the Iraqi Media:
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Failure of more than 3 thousand children in enrollment in education in Shu’la area
MP demands ousting the Rusafa II Director of Education on the background of the fall of a part of school on the
students
Ministry of Education refers 372 schools to the implementation by ready construction style
Ministry of Education activating private school system in the country
Human Rights Office in Maysan announces the existence of 16 schools to collapse
Kurdistan Ministry of Health warns of bird flu
Ministry of Health: the high incidence of deaths due to heart disease
Drug that causes AIDS refuted by health minister
13 villages in the south east of Nasiriya do not get drinking water
Ministry of Municipalities: implementation of six projects for water and sanitation in Diyala
Financial concessions for disabled people in Kurdistan
Increase in the number of mine victims in Maysan to more than 5000
Death of a child and wounding five women in explosion targeted their bus on the way to Karbala, southwest of
Mosul
Iraq blast kills 2 children
Migration Ministry denies knowledge of the sinking of dozens of displaced Faily Kurds on a trip to Australia
Abduction of three brother children by unknown group south-west of Kirkuk
All media reports are categorized by key children’s issues within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
MDG 1
Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger
Poverty
Nothing to report
Breastfeeding
Nothing to report
Malnourishment (under nutrition and obesity)
Nothing to report
Iodized Salt Consumption
Nothing to report
MDG 2
Achieve universal primary education
1
School Enrolment, Attendance and Completion (pre-School, primary, intermediate and secondary)
Failure of more than 3 thousand children in enrollment in education in Shu’la area
Baghdad – Assabah Newspaper, Jan. 3
The Ministry of Human Rights revealed on the existence of more than 3 thousand children who did not attend
school and living with their squatter families in Shu’la area South of Baghdad.
An official source in the Department of Monitoring Government Performance and Rights Protection in the
ministry, said a team of the department prepared a report about the conditions of families living in the random
houses in Shu’la area which counts more than four thousand residential units.
He added that the residents of these houses have a lot of problems including the lack of schools, which led
to the failure of more than 3 thousand children from access to education.
Education Services (infrastructure, quality of education)
MP demands ousting the Rusafa II Director of Education on the background of the fall of a part of
school on the students
Baghdad – Voice of Iraq News & Mada, Azzaman Newspapers, Jan. 4
MP Maha al-Douri demanded the sacking of the Director of Education of Rusafa II after the fall of a part of a
primary school during studying hours without causing death among the pupils in the east of the capital
Baghdad.
Al-Douri said Tuesday that “part of the balcony of an old school in the sector of Rusafa II Education
Directorate east of Baghdad has fallen during school hours, but did not result in human casualties among the
pupils except some injuries.”
She added, “This school is one of 100 ramshackle schools were reported in the Parliament’s Education
Committee, which in turn addressed the Ministry of Education of it, but the appropriate measures hadn’t been
taken,” demanding to, “sack the Director of Rusafa II Education Directorate, because the school is located
within his responsibility” .
Link: http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=37390#axzz1iOYA7rk8
http://almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=56788
Ministry of Education refers 372 schools to the implementation by ready construction style
Baghdad – Assabah & Azzaman Newspapers, Jan. 3
The Ministry of Education referred 372 schools to the implementation in Baghdad and the provinces by ready
building style.
The media spokesman of the ministry, Waleed Hussein said the ministry has referred the project to build 205
schools in Baghdad and 77 in Anbar province, and 90 schools in the province of Diyala, to the
implementation by turnkey construction under the supervision of the Directorate of School Buildings.
Hussein quoted the assistant director of the Directorate of School Buildings, Eng. Khalifa Jawad as saying
that ramshackle schools which the ministry is going to re-build will be of a capacity of 6-9-12-18-24
classrooms and of two or three floors to achieve the best investment for the unit area, pointing out that the
duration of completion of these schools do not exceed 360 days.
He added that the last term has seen the forwarding of 466 mud schools and ramshackle to the
implementation in Iraq.
2
Link: http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=19444
Ministry of Education activating private school system in the country
Baghdad – AKnews Agency & Mashriq Newspaper, Jan. 3
The Ministry of Education announced the activation of private school system, emphasizing that there are 800
private schools operating in Iraq, and the trend towards facilitating the expansion of private education
projects in the country.
The adviser of the ministry, Mohsen Abid Ali said, “The Ministry has started activating the private school
system, which regulates the process of establishing model school in the country to support the private
education sector.” He underlined that “the ministry granted work permits for 800 schools operating
throughout Iraq, including Kurdistan region.”
Link: http://www.aknews.com/ar/aknews/3/281758/
http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=10335
Human Rights Office in Maysan announces the existence of 16 schools to collapse
Amara – Nina, Addustour, Mashriq Newspapers, Forat TV & Dijla Radio, Jan. 1
Human Rights Office in Maysan, announced the presence of 16 schools to be fallen apart, in different parts
of the province, some of them built with mud.
The Director of the Office of Human Rights in the province, Ahmad al-Lami said in a press statement today
that the monitoring and inspection teams of the Office conducted a field survey on ramshackle and mud
schools as well as triple shift schools, and found that it constitutes a danger to students and teachers
because the ceilings and walls are going to fall.
He added that these schools are semi-open and lack the safety because they lack doors and windows,
indicating that most of those schools are built of mud and roofs constructed of wood and papyrus.
Al-Lami added that 5 of these schools have been referred to implementation within the investment plans for
2010 and 2011 but they were not implemented yet and the remaining schools are not included within the
stated investment plans.
The director of the Office of Human Rights demanded the stakeholders to expedite the construction of these
schools, even with the turnkey construction or caravans temporarily to support the students and teaching
staff.
Link: http://www.ninanews.com/arabic/News_Details.asp?ar95_VQ=FJIIDL
http://www.daraddustour.com/‫التفاصيل‬/tabid/94/smid/433/ArticleID/65145/reftab/61/Default.aspx
http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=10213
http://www.alforattv.net/?show=news&action=article&id=65592
http://www.radiodijla.com/cgi-bin/news/news_item.pl?id=2012-01-01%2006:38:25
MDG 3
Eliminate gender disparity in primary education
Girls School Enrolment, Attendance and Completion (pre-School, primary, intermediate and
secondary)
Nothing to report
Women’s Literacy
The opening of four centers for the speed-up education in Baghdad
3
Baghdad – NINA & Mashriq Newspaper, Jan. 2
The Baghdad – Karkh III Directorate of Education has opened in collaboration with UNICEF, four accelerated
education centers.
A source in the directorate said that “The accelerated learning would be in three levels, first and second
primary classes represent the first level, the third and fourth represent the second level, and fifth and sixth
represent the third level.”
He added that the acceptance of these centers would be for students of 12-18 years old who left school and
the study will be at evening in all the stages.
Link: http://www.ninanews.com/arabic/News_Details.asp?ar95_VQ=FJIILE
http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=10225
MDG 4
Reduce child mortality
Child Deaths (diseases, health-related)
Nothing to report
Immunization
Nothing to report
MDG 5
Improve maternal health
Mothers Dying at Birth
Nothing to report
Maternal Health Services (infrastructure, medical treatment)
Nothing to report
MDG 6
Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
Health Services (infrastructure, medical treatment, etc.)
Kurdistan Ministry of Health warns of bird flu
Baghdad – Assabah Newspaper, Jan. 5
Ministry of Health in Kurdistan region warned of a possible pandemic of bird flu in the region from now until
next March.
NINA (National Iraqi News Agency) quoted the spokesman for the ministry, Dr. Khalis Kadir as saying that
the “bird flu is a risk threatening to emerge in the countries of the world all the time, and the region is also
threatened by the emergence of this disease until March of this year,” pointing that “the virus be inactive in
the spring and summer.”
Kadir added that, “There is a special operation room for seasonal diseases, to confront the risk of diseases in
the event of an outbreak in neighboring countries.”
Link: http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=19581
4
Ministry of Health: the high incidence of deaths due to heart disease
Baghdad – Mada Newspaper, Jan. 4
The Director of the Division of non-Transition Diseases in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mona Atallah assured
that the country is undergoing in an epidemiological transition with increasing burden of non-transition
diseases and the risk factors that cause them, like other countries in the region.
This came in a study by Atallah for programs to control communicable diseases, where she said that the
statistics of the Ministry of Health showed that most causes of death occurring among males and females
due to non-transition diseases, especially the heart and blood vessels diseases, cancer, diabetes, respiratory
diseases, and showed recording of more than 20,000 cases of high blood pressure, 16,000 cases of
Diabetes, 7,000 cases of heart diseases, more than 14,000 new cases of cancer, and 4,500 cases of
asthma.
The statistics showed that the prevalence of risk factors causing non-transition diseases in smoking among
adults is 9.21%, the male more 6 times than the female mostly start smoking in age less than 20 years, and
two thirds smoke 20 cigarette or more.
The statistics reported that dietary habits in Iraq confirms that the majority of the population ate (1-2) meals
of fruits or vegetables a day, with the problem of lack of practice for more than (50%) of adults, especially
among females and the elderly, and it is expected that about (66.6%) were obese or overweight.
The results of the evaluation of primary school students of ages (6-13) showed that (6.19%) of them are
overweight, (7.7%) are obese and in spite of the presence of (19%) of diagnosed cases of high blood
pressure and (6 %) of diabetes in adults, the statistics showed that (40%) have high blood pressure and
(4.10%) have high blood sugar, and about one-third of the infected are not aware of the disease.
Link: http://almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=56787
Drug that causes AIDS refuted by health minister
Erbil – AKnews Agency, Jan. 2
Kurdistan Regional Government’s Minister of Health refuted on Monday that any drugs exist in the region
which cause AIDS as a side effect.
The refutation came after a rumor circulated among local people in Erbil, the capital city of the semiautonomous region, that a French made drug used for protection against flu can in fact induce AIDS as a
side effect.
The rumors gained momentum as they were disseminated via text messages between friends whom in turn
forwarded the message to more people.
“There is no drug in Kurdistan Region that might cause AIDS.” The minister said, explaining that Kurdistan
Region had the Quality Control and the Syndicate of Pharmacists which examined all drugs.
But at the same time he said “There will be legal measures against violators”
According to health authorities, there are 19 cases of infection with the HIV in the entire Kurdish region of
about 4.5 million people.
Link: http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/281899/
MDG 7
Ensure environmental sustainability – Safe drinking water & basic sanitation
5
Access to Safe Water
13 villages in the south east of Nasiriya do not get drinking water
Nasiriya – Assabah Newspaper, Jan. 4
Thi Qar Provincial Council has warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in some villages of south-eastern city
of Nasiriya because of the scarcity of drinking water.
The member of the provincial council, Auda Khassaf assured that more than 13 villages in the area of Akaika
Township in Chebaish District are lacking of water complexes and desalination plants although they are
villages on the banks of rivers.
He said that the council rejected a proposal for implementation of immediate projects for water desalination
of the Euphrates River and delivery it to a number of villages that suffer from severe shortages in drinking
water because of the need of such projects to huge amounts of money.
He called local and central governments to speed up the implementation of projects for potable water to
rescue hundreds of families living in these villages and protect them from water shortages.
Link: http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=19518
Ministry of Municipalities: implementation of six projects for water and sanitation in Diyala
Baghdad – Assabah Newspaper, Jan. 4
Media adviser in the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, Jassim Mohammed Salim said the minister,
Adel Mhodr stressed during his meeting with sheikhs and dignitaries of Diyala province, the ministry’s
intention to implement a number of projects in the province.
He added that the ministry’s plan provides for the implementation of strategic projects, and the establishment
of infrastructure, to make real development in the areas of water and sanitation and treatment plants to rid
the river of pollution, adding that the ministry will implement the sewer projects of Khalis, Baquba, Jedidat
Alshat, in addition to the water projects in Jedidat Alshat, Sada, Jabour, Salam and Siraj, within the budget of
2012.
Link: http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=19519
______________________________________________________________________________________
Access to Adequate Sanitation
Nothing to report
Garbage Collection and Disposal
Nothing to report
Child Protection
Birth Registration (identity)
Nothing to report
Early Childhood Marriage
Nothing to report
Disabled Children (physical and mental)
Financial concessions for disabled people in Kurdistan
Erbil – Mashriq, Assabah, Ittihad, Mowaten Newspapers & AKnews Agency, Jan. 2
The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in Kurdistan Region announced the allocation of 100 thousand IQD
as minimum monthly wage for disabled people in the region.
6
The Kurdish parliament has ratified the bill on privileges to special needs people in the region, which included
25 articles.
The minister Asus Najib told a news conference held in Erbil, that “the Parliament approve on the law of
privileges to special needs people in Kurdistan is a great asset and a dream come true for that segment in
the region,” indicating that “The ministry will adopt in determining the proportion of monthly salaries for the
disabled on the degree of disability for those who have registered.”
She added, “The new law defines 100 thousand IQD as monthly salary for each government employee with
disabilities and 140 thousand IQD for the unemployed disabled,” noting that “the law provides for the
provision of special services for the handicapped in buildings that would be built in the region from now on.”
Link: http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=10216
http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=19373
http://www.alitthad.com/paper.php?name=News&file=article&sid=110511
http://www.aknews.com/ar/aknews/3/281573/?Akmobile=true
Increase in the number of mine victims in Maysan to more than 5000
Maysan – Voice of Iraq News, SNA, All Iraq News Agency, Assabah Newspaper & Forat TV, Jan. 2
The Health and Environment Committee of the Council of Maysan Province announced a high number of
mine victims in the province to more than five thousand according to figures of the Rehabilitation Program of
victims of war and mines.
Committee’s Chairman, Maytham Fartusi said in a statement today that “the number of victims of war and
mines in Maysan within the statistical prepared by the Rehabilitation Program [victims of war and mines],
which was introduced in the province on 16 November 2011, amounted to five thousand and 200 victims
while the total number of disabled by mines in general, was more than four times of this number, but 900 of
them who were covered by the program have salaries for making living, but the rest suffer from severe
poverty. “
“The relevant ministries and especially the Ministries of Health and Labour and Social Affairs called upon
today to take the official figure which is increasing, seriously and find solutions to those victims who have lost
the most expensive thing of the body.” Fartusi added.
The Rehabilitation Program and Count the Victims of War and Mines had been introduced late last year,
2011, under the auspices of the Department of Mines Affairs in the Ministry of Environment.
It’s worth mentioning that competent international organizations see that Iraq contains a quarter of the
number of mines in the world, and unofficial estimates indicate that there are more than 25 million mines in
the whole of Iraq as remnants of war during the past decades.
Link: http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=37256#axzz1iOYA7rk8
http://sna-news.net/sna/news/world/1757–5-.html
http://www.alliraqnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23118:-5-3-&catid=39:2011-0408-17-26-45&Itemid=58
http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=19522
Youth Employment
Nothing to report
Orphans
Nothing to report
Child Labour
Nothing to report
7
Violence Against Children (beating, maiming, killing, abduction, trafficking, sexual, forced genital
mutilation, etc.)
Abduction of three brother children by unknown group south-west of Kirkuk
Kirkuk - Voice of Iraq News & Sumaria News Site, Jan. 7
A police source in Kirkuk, yesterday evening, announced the abduction of three brother children by unknown
group southwest of Kirkuk.
The source said that "an armed group in a modern car, last night, kidnapped three young brother children live
in Qasr Alawal Village in Hawija District (55 km southwest of Kirkuk) and took them to an unknown
destination."
"A security force cordoned off the area of the incident, and carried out a raid to search for the kidnappers."
Province of Kirkuk, a disputed area between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government, almost
witnesses daily attacks targeting security forces and civilians alike, and abduction of civilians and children to
blackmail their families.
Link: http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=37809#axzz1ildmzS1S
http://www.alsumarianews.com/ar/2/34148/news-details-.html
Death of a child and wounding five women in explosion targeted their bus on the way to Karbala,
southwest of Mosul
Mosul - Voice of Iraq News, Ikhbariya News Agency, Sumaria News, Mada Newspaper & Nawa Radio,
Jan. 5
A source in Ninawa Operations Command said that a child was killed and five women was injured by a
roadside bomb targeted their bus heading to the city of Karbala, southwest of Mosul.
The source reported that a child less than a year old was killed today evening and five women were injured
when a roadside bomb exploded targeting a bus carrying visitors near the strategic line in Ain Jahsh area (70
km southwest of Mosul).
The source added that the bus was carrying visitors came from the district of Tall Afar (60 km west of Mosul)
going toward Baghdad and then complete the way to Karbala.
Link: http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=37676#axzz1ifOqN4aX
http://ikhnews.com/news.php?action=view&id=29274
http://www.alsumarianews.com/ar/2/34107/news-details-.html
http://ar.radionawa.com/(A(5qgyNt0CzQEkAAAANTYyYjM3OTAtNDQ1MS00ZWVkLWJmN2ItYTQzMTYxNz
E3MDFkZMo6VJT7gIARA5fzial4YtM-nrE1))/Detail.aspx?id=25180&LinkID=63
Iraq blast kills 2 children
Baquba – Baghdad International Agency News, NINA, Peyamner, Sumaria News, Kurdsat TV, Jan. 5
Bomb and a grenade attack north of Baghdad killed two children and wounded 17 other people, officials said.
A series of 11 apparently coordinated blasts targeting security officers rocked the restive central city of
Baquba, 60km north of Baghdad, on Wednesday morning, an official in the provincial security command
center and a doctor at the city’s hospital said.
A six-year-old girl was killed and 12 people were hurt in the attacks against a variety of checkpoints, security
officers’ homes and dismounted patrols, the security official and Dr Firas al-Dulaimi said.
Also in Baquba, an 11-year-old boy was killed and two other youths were wounded when a mobile phone
8
they had found while playing exploded, the security command official said.
Link: http://www.baghdadiabian.com/news.php?action=view&id=14410
http://www.ninanews.com/arabic/News_Details.asp?ar95_VQ=FJJDDE
http://www.peyamner.com/Arabic/PNAnews.aspx?nID=261798
http://www.alsumarianews.com/ar/2/33993/news-details-.html
Violence Against Women (beating, rape)
Nothing to report
Displacement (internal and refugee)
Migration Ministry denies knowledge of the sinking of dozens of displaced Faily Kurds on a trip to
Australia
Baghdad – Mada & Mutamar Newspapers, Jan. 4
Ministry of Displacement and Migration, denied on Tuesday, its knowledge of the killing and the loss of
dozens of displaced Faily Kurds that were drowned after smugglers wood shipwreck which were traveling to
Australia had sunk opposite the Indonesian coast mid-December of last year, expressing their interest to
pursue this issue with the Australian authorities through the Iraqi embassy in Australia.”
“The Ministry of Displacement and Migration has no knowledge of the sinking of dozens of Iraqi Faily Kurds
off the coast of Indonesia.” The deputy Minister of Migration Asghar al-Musawi said.
Earlier reports indicated that the rescue teams pulled dozens of bodies of drowned migrants after a rickety
boat carrying more than the capacity, opposite the coast of the Indonesian island of Java, nobody was
survived but a few of the passengers, according to reports from rescue teams.
Among 250 passengers crammed in the boat by smugglers in the launch from Indonesia, only 47 people
were rescued when the boat in a rough sea water where sharks abound in it.
Most of these immigrants were seeking access to Australia via Australia’s Christmas Island located 300 km
from the coast of Indonesia.
The boat, sank 40 nautical miles (about 75 kilometers) from the eastern coast of the island of Java (east)
with its passengers of men, women and children, the elderly most of whom were not good swimmers.
Link: http://almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=56811
http://www.almutmar.com/index.php?id=201218954
Ministry of Immigration finishes 250 low-cost houses in Karbala
Baghdad – Aswat al-Iraq News Agency, Jan. 2
The Ministry of Displacement and Migration completed construction of 250 low-cost houses to help bring
back families to Karbala province, within its plan to assist them in their difficult conditions.
Karbala Ministry’s branch director Mohammed Hussein said in a statement that these houses were given by
the UNHCR, in cooperation with I.S.H.O.
He added that 205 families benefited from this project, in addition to 20 families coming from abroad and 25
poor families.
Link:
http://en.aswataliraq.info/(S(wy1xhvntb2mpoaukjjxyiarc))/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=146309&l=1
Media Coverage Summary
9
Media
Newspapers
No. of articles
MDGs
Issue
Assabah
2
1
2
2
2-Primary Education
6-Combat diseases
7-Environmental sustainability
Child protection
2-School Enrolment & Education Services
6-Health Services
7-Safe water
Disabled children
Mada
1
1
2
2-Primary Education
6-Combat diseases
Child protection
2-Education Services
6-Health Services
Violence Against Children & Displacement
Azzaman
2
2-Primary Education
2-Education Services
Mashriq
2
1
1
2-Primary Education
3-Eliminate gender disparity
Child protection
2-Education Services
3-Women’s literacy
Disabled children
Addustour
1
2-Primary Education
2-Education Services
Ittihad
1
Child protection
Disabled children
Mowaten
1
Child protection
Disabled children
Mutamar
1
Child protection
Displacement
Dijla
1
2-Primary Education
2-Education Services
Nawa
1
Child protection
Violence Against Children
Forat
1
1
2-Primary Education
Child protection
2-Education Services
Disabled children
Kurdsat
1
Child protection
Violence Against Children
Voice of Iraq
1
3
2-Primary Education
Child protection
2-Education Services
Disabled children & Violence Against
Children
AKnews Agency
1
1
1
2-Primary Education
6-Combat diseases
Child protection
2-Education Services
6-Health Services
Disabled children
NINA
1
1
1
2-Primary Education
3-Eliminate gender disparity
Child protection
2-Education Services
3-Women’s literacy
Violence Against Children
SNA
1
Child protection
Disabled children
All Iraq News
Agency
1
Child protection
Disabled children
Ikhbariya News
Agency
1
Child protection
Violence Against Children
Sumaria News
Agency
3
Child protection
Violence Against Children
Baghdad
International
Agency
1
Child protection
Violence Against Children
Peyamner
1
Child protection
Violence Against Children
Aswat al-Iraq
1
Child protection
Displacement
UNICEF
UN
1
Radio
TV
Web-Based
1
1
10