Iraq News Now

Shafaq News/Iraq’s children are enduring a crisis marked by escalating child labor,domestic violence, and a severe lack of legal protections, according to expertsand organizations monitoring the country’s worsening child welfare situation.As a result, Iraq remains one of the most challenging places in the world forchildren.

Child LaborCrisis

Iraq ranksas one of the worst countries globally for child labor, with 4.9% of itschildren engaged in work across various sectors. Dr. Fadel Al-Gharawi, head ofthe Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq, reports that children arepredominantly employed in industries, agriculture, and service sectors.

“While thesesectors contribute to the country’s economy, they also expose children todangerous and exploitative labor practices,” he says.

In additionto physical labor, Iraq is grappling with an alarming increase in childbegging. Al-Gharawi states that about 57% of child beggars are boys, with 33%being girls. Many of these children are either exploited by criminal gangs oraccompany family members who force them into begging. “The situation is furtherexacerbated by the risks of trafficking and abduction.”

Furthermore,Iraq's children are facing educational barriers, with approximately two millionschool-age children currently out of school. Al-Gharawi reveals that 30% ofchildren drop out, a situation worsened by the lack of resources andinfrastructure for quality education.

Adding tothis, 160 children have been victims of human trafficking in 2023 and 2024,shedding light on the country's poor standing in global childhood well-beingindices.

Whileeconomic factors drive child labor, environmental challenges also leave Iraqichildren vulnerable.

The Impactof Climate Change on Children

Iraqichildren are also among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,with rising temperatures, water scarcity, and food insecurity exacerbatingtheir hardship. According to UNICEF, Iraq ranks 61st out of 163 countries onthe Children’s Climate Risk Index. Additionally, the United Nations EnvironmentProgram (UNEP) highlights Iraq as the fifth most vulnerable country to extremeenvironmental conditions, including food and water shortages, whichdisproportionately affect its younger population.

The systemicissues rooted in economic struggles and legal inadequacies have alsocontributed to a broader social instability, where violence against children ison the rise.

Root Causes:Economic Struggles and Weak Legal Framework

The highrates of child labor in Iraq are largely driven by economic factors. Al-Gharawipoints out that family income declines, high unemployment, and poverty levelsare pushing families to rely on child labor to make ends meet. furtheraggravating the problem is Iraq’s fragile legal system, with existing childrights protections insufficient to address these challenges.

“The lack ofenforcement mechanisms leaves children exposed to exploitation, violence, andtrafficking.”

RisingViolence and Social Instability

AmalAl-Kubaishi, a social researcher, Al-Kubaishi describes a grim picture ofchildren’s rights in Iraq, noting that the broader deterioration in humanrights is reflected in the increasing vulnerability of children. Al-Kubaishiattributes this to a combination of rampant violence, widespread availabilityof weapons, and weak legal protections, contributing to what she describes as a"dangerous regression" in children’s safety and well-being.

“Violenceagainst children, including abuse and neglect, has risen sharply. Social media trendsand reports of child abuse reflect the growing concern, while fragmentedfamilies and high divorce rates contribute to an unstable environment for manychildren…The prevalence of violence is one of the most alarming violationschildren face,” Al-Kubaishi explains to Shafaq News.

Additionally,the deteriorating state of Iraq’s education system, with rising dropout ratesand inadequate facilities, further exacerbates the challenges facing children.“The overall decline in children’s health indicators, which show a steadyworsening, points to systemic issues affecting the country’s youth.”

Al-Kubaishicalls for urgent reforms, stressing that the government must fulfill itsinternational commitments to children’s rights. “Strengthening protectivemeasures to curb violence and improve education and healthcare services iscritical to halting the further decline of Iraq’s children.”

LegalProtections and Policy Failures

Iraq is asignatory to critical international agreements such as the International LabourOrganization’s Conventions 138 and 182, which aim to eliminate child labor andthe worst forms of exploitation. However, despite these commitments, childlabor remains pervasive. Experts call for urgent policy reforms to strengthenchild protection and labor laws, including harsher penalties for employersexploiting children.

Al-Gharawipoints out that despite Iraq’s international commitments to children’s rights,the country still lags in passing effective domestic laws to protect children.

“Iraq hasratified international conventions, but its domestic legislation, particularlythe child protection law, remains unpassed,” he points out. “The law, still inlimbo, fails to align with the Constitution or international child rightsstandards, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation and violence.”

SouthernIraq’s Struggle

Haqi KareemHadi, head of the Association for the Protection and Development of the IraqiFamily, underscores the dire situation in the country, particularly in southernIraq, where children face compounded challenges, including violence andexploitation.

Heattributes this to “the lack of enforcement of mandatory education laws andoversight of child labor.” Hadi, speaking to Shafaq News, warns of a growingilliteracy crisis in southern Iraq as the number of school dropouts rises.

BothAl-Gharawi and Hadi urge the Iraqi government to take decisive action toaddress these issues, including establishing a National Child Protection Day onJune 12 and creating a Youth Fund to provide support for children until theyreach adulthood.

“Withoutthese measures, Iraq risks perpetuating cycles of poverty, exploitation, andeducational neglect for its youngest citizens.”

UNICEF'sRole and the Rise in Violations

Recent datafrom UNICEF further illustrates the alarming rise in violations againstchildren in Iraq. According to a 2024 United Nations report on children andarmed conflict, 381 violations affecting 289 children were recorded, includingrecruitment by armed groups, killings, maiming, and sexual violence.

Among therecorded violations, 107 children were killed, 129 maimed, and 32 recruited byarmed groups. The report also highlights the targeting of schools andhospitals, with six attacks reported, and the denial of humanitarian access in76 cases.

In response,both the Iraqi government and the United Nations have stepped up efforts toaddress child protection issues. Iraq signed an action plan with the UN toprevent the recruitment of children by armed groups, particularly the PopularMobilization Forces (PMF), and to facilitate the release and reintegration ofaffected children. Moreover, efforts to clear explosive remnants of war andprovide mine risk education are underway, aiming to protect children from thesepersistent dangers.

Despite theinternational community’s efforts, Iraq still faces challenges in passing andimplementing domestic laws that adequately protect its children.

Progress OnThe Child Protection Law

DunyaAl-Shammari, head of the Women, Family, and Childhood Committee in the IraqiParliament, has been leading the charge to pass the long-awaited ChildProtection Law. While the law has undergone several revisions, it still failsto address many critical issues facing Iraqi children.

Al-Shammariexplains to Shafaq News that the law, originally just three pages long, has nowbeen amended with a 100-page revision. “Despite these changes, the law remainsstalled in Parliament, with the committee’s push for a second reading halted bya letter from the General Secretariat urging additionnal amendments.”

The proposedamendments focus on issues such as child begging, human trafficking, and thestatus of children in private shelters. Al-Shammari stresses the importance ofgovernment-run shelters to ensure proper oversight and care for vulnerablechildren.

The law isalso expected to include provisions for gifted children, such as those withextraordinary intelligence or achievements in fields like artificialintelligence, ensuring they receive the care and support they need.

As Iraq’schildren continue to suffer from these overlapping crises, the urgent need forlegal reforms and stronger protections has never been clearer.