1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,360 You are watching UNICEF television. 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:08,760 Her Majesty Queen Rania, UNICEF's eminent advocate for children, announces a call to 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,760 action for Iraqi children in Amman, Jordan. 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:18,040 It is time to throw a lifeline to Iraqi children, those facing the violence in Iraq and those 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,040 now sheltering in Jordan and Syria. 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,560 Today's launch of UNICEF's report on Iraqi children in Iraq and neighboring countries 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:26,560 tells a painful story. 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:33,560 Faced as we are with a daily barrage of bad news, some might feel that the situation is 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:34,560 hopeless. 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,560 But stepping up support right now in Iraq and in neighboring countries is not only possible, 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,560 it is also the best way to protect Iraq's future, its children. 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:50,560 Aid does get through, it does reach children, and it does make a difference even in unsafe 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:51,560 areas. 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,560 This is a critical moment for children caught in the violence. 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,560 Last week, children became this year's first victims of cholera in Iraq, and we dread a 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,560 major outbreak of this disease in the heat of the summer. 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:10,560 Less than 30 percent of Iraqi children have access to a glass of safe drinking water. 18 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:17,560 And insecurity in many areas makes it increasingly perilous to even try to reach health services. 19 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:22,560 Up to one in ten Iraqis is suffering from acute malnutrition. 20 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:27,560 Meanwhile, some classrooms stand empty as violence keeps children in their homes, while 21 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,560 other classrooms are grossly overcrowded. 22 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,560 The school year is about to end, and many children have not learned enough to progress 23 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,560 into the next grade. 24 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:43,560 The long-term costs of poor health and lost education are hard to quantify, but are certain 25 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,560 to be paid by future generations unless there is swift action. 26 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,560 Children make up half of the four million people who have fled Iraq since 2003, and 27 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,560 many of them are now here in Jordan and in Syria. 28 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:01,560 Many live in communities that were impoverished long before these children arrived, and where 29 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,560 social services are now stretched to a breaking point. 30 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,560 Despite the extreme problems, there is still cause for optimism. 31 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:16,560 A recent immunization campaign supported by UNICEF, WHO, the Iraqi government, and the 32 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:21,560 European Commission, for example, saw courageous health workers going door-to-door to protect 33 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,560 3.6 million children against measles, mumps, and rubella. 34 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:33,560 UNICEF requires $42 million to provide and protect the services children so desperately 35 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,560 need if they are to survive and develop. 36 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:42,560 Plans are in place to reach children in Iraq, even in violent districts, with basic health, 37 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,560 water, sanitation, and education. 38 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:51,560 And here in Jordan and in Syria, UNICEF will help governments provide social services for 39 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:56,560 growing numbers of Iraqi children, aiming to get them into the classrooms, keep them 40 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,560 healthy, and protect them from exploitation. 41 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,560 What children need above all is a resolution to this crisis. 42 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,560 That has to be our ultimate hope. 43 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,560 For many Iraqi children, the long-term future may be unclear, but their present needs for 44 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:18,560 education, for health care, for clean water and proper sanitation are clear and must be 45 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:19,560 met now. 46 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,560 Thank you all very much.