Children in the Iraqi Media:
The Reporting of Iraqi Children's Issues and Rights
Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2011
UNICEF in the Iraqi Media:
· Ceremony in Maysan on CRC Day
UN in the Iraqi Media:
· United Nations values anti-violence against women campaign in Kurdistan Region
· Norway supports the UNDP to renounce social violence in Iraq
· Thi Qar celebrates the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women
· Government grants for displaced Iraqis in Lebanon and Jordan
Children in the Iraqi Media:
· House of Representatives announced the formation of a committee to follow up the ration card items
· The allocation of more than 3500 pieces of land to build schools in a manner of payment on credit
· Government wants women to read
· Implementation of the Health Visitor Project in Diyala
· 25% of the pupils of Kurdistan had never heard the word “Environment”
· Development a national plan to control and prevent from diseases
· HIV infections in Kurdistan Region approach 20
· Landmine casualties reach 1,300 in southern Iraqi province
· Ministry of Culture prepares for the Second International Children Culture Conference next month
· Minister for Women calls for the activation of the national strategy for combating violence against women
· Video broadcasted on Websites raises the issue of violence against women
· Maliki does not impress women
· A fifth of Iraqi women 'subjected to abuse'
All media reports are categorized by key children’s issues within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
MDG 1Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger
Poverty
House of Representatives announced the formation of a committee to follow up the ration card items
Baghdad – Voice of Iraq News, Dec. 1
The parliamentary economy and investment Committee announced, Wednesday, the formation of a committee to follow up the distribution of the ration card items, noting that the committee assigned to follow up this matter will begin its work early next year.
Iraq dealt with the ration card system since 1991 after the imposition of the embargo in 1990 and after the invasion of the former regime to the State of Kuwait.
The Member of the economy and investment committee Nahida al-Daini said that "there is a committee set up by the House of Representatives to follow-up the quality of the ration card items and flow distribution to the citizens," indicating that "the Committee will begin its work early next year."
The ration card includes nine items, they are: rice, sugar, tea, flour, milk, infant milk, legumes, and washing powders, but now it shrunk to about 5 or 6 items.
"The distribution of the ration card items contains large number of complex procedures. The Ministry of Trade has informed us that it contracted with companies for the sale of food with first-class origins," Daini explained, "but citizens complain of poor items."
Link: http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=33154#axzz1fHp53YxH
Breastfeeding
Nothing to report
Malnourishment (under nutrition and obesity)
Nothing to report
Iodized Salt Consumption
Nothing to report
MDG 2
Achieve universal primary education
School Enrolment, Attendance and Completion (pre-School, primary, intermediate and secondary)
Nothing to report
Education Services (infrastructure, quality of education)
The allocation of more than 3500 pieces of land to build schools in a manner of payment on credit
Baghdad – Assabah Newspaper, Nov. 30
The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers approved on the allocation of more than 3500 pieces of land in Iraq, part of a project to build five thousand school by payment on credit, while the Ministry of Education is considering a project to provide temporary schools "caravans" in the neighborhoods of squatters areas.
The media spokesman of the ministry, Walid Hussein, said more than 28 local and international companies have shown willingness to implement the project and submitted their offers for this purpose.
Hussein noted that the ministry is implementing an integrated plan for the establishment of school buildings that are not centrally directed but by the Education Directorates, to develop the methods used by the ministry in building schools and educational institutions in Iraq, and to eradicate mud schools and double shifts.
Hussein added that the ministry had granted the directorates the right to contract with domestic and foreign companies specialized in the area of school buildings, which speeds up the completion within the terms, conditions and period of time agreed on.
He confirmed that a separate budget for building schools was allocated for each Directorate of Education by geographical area, but he didn’t specify the size of that budget.
He reported that work continues in coordination with the directorates to prepare plans for addressing the phenomenon of mud schools, as the Directorate of Education in Wasit will build 42 schools instead of mud ones, as well as the announcement of the Minister of Education Mohammed Timim on initiating the implementation of 60 projects for school buildings in Diwaniya.
Hussein said that the ministry is studying the possibility of providing temporary schools "caravans" for the squatters areas that are densely populated and showed high incidence of drop out of their pupils, especially that most of these neighborhoods are far from the city center, prompting the ministry to think about finding alternative and temporary solutions to provide the opportunity to teach the inhabitants of these areas.
Link: http://www.alsabaah.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=17728
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
Government wants women to read
Baghdad – AKnews Agency & Mashriq Newspaper, Nov. 30
The Planning Ministry wants to fight illiteracy of women.
Ministry spokesman Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi announced a bidding process for the construction of educational centers for women.
20 percent of Iraqis are unable to read or write. The rate is much higher among women, especially in rural areas; up to 50 percent of the female population is illiterate.
One reason is that the level of education of Iraqis is comparably low; almost 22% of the adult population never went to school. 39% of the rural population is illiterate; this number is even higher among women.
Back in the 1980s, prior to the First Gulf War between Iraq and Iran, Iraq's educational system was considered to be one of the best in the Middle East. Almost every child attended school and the illiteracy rate was below 10%.
Link: http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/275429/
http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=8179
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.)
Implementation of the Health Visitor Project in Diyala
Baquba - Mashriq Newspaper, Nov. 30
The media spokesman for the Department of Health in Diyala Province, Faris Khudhair announced starting to implement the second phase of the Health Visitor Project in all the administrative units within the province.
Khudhair said that the project aims to improve the health situation for all segments of society through developing a database of health status for each family which gives more flexibility in the treatment of diseases and be a reference to the medical staff in health institutions.
Link: http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=8033
25% of the pupils of Kurdistan had never heard the word “Environment”
Kirkuk – Mada Newspaper, Nov. 29
Chairman of the (Green Kurdistan) Society, yesterday, declared the Society's decision to implement a project aimed at raising environmental awareness among students in schools in the region.
According to Niaz Fattah, "The (Green Kurdistan) Society conducted a survey earlier, showed that 25% of respondents aged between 10 and 19 years old in the region have not heard of the word environment," adding that "Based on the results of the survey the society decided to implement a project aimed at raising environmental awareness among students in schools in the region."
Fattah added, "The project was presented to the Council of Ministers in the region and has been launched already a week ago in Kremian Unit in Kurdistan," noting that "the project aims to raise awareness of the importance of preserving water resources and protect the environment from pollution and the impact of pollution on human health."
The (Green Kurdistan) Society was established in November 16, 1993, and it is active in the field of environmental protection in the region and has seven centers and 12 representatives in different regions of Kurdistan.
Link: http://almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=54138
Development of a national plan to control and prevent from diseases
Baghdad – Mashriq, Mada Newspapers, Nov. 29
The Department of Public Health at the Ministry of Health has set up a workshop with health departments in Baghdad and the provinces to discuss the activities of prevention and control of chronic diseases, including high blood pressure and diabetes.
The media spokesman of the Ministry Dr. Ziyad Tariq said the ministry has set up the workshop to discuss the latest developments and global indicators in the prevention and control of these diseases, including the world report on the reality of the case of Iraq and the results and the requirements of strategic goals for the prevention and control of the chronic diseases.
Dr. Samira Makki, the Director of the Division of Chronic Diseases in the Ministry of Health said that approximately 40% of deaths in Iraq due to these diseases, and that Iraq is working to prepare a national plan for control and prevention of them and has made a draft submitted to the Council of Ministers.
The workshop discussed in four days the assess of the work of health departments in the implementation of a plan of action to early detection of high blood pressure, diabetes and latest statistics, the project of budget for 2012 as well as the draft of disclosure of obesity among students in schools and health project of the eye and examining the eyes of the child before school age in primary health centers.
Link: http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=7941
http://almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=54224
HIV infections in Kurdistan Region approach 20
Sulaimaniya – Mada, Mashriq Newspapers & AKnews Agency, Nov. 27
There are 19 people who are reported to be infected with HIV in the whole of Kurdistan Region. However the health authorities are preparing an awareness raising campaign for World AIDS Day on Thursday.
KRG Minister of Health Tahir Hawrami said on Sunday that the 19 HIV cases, all of whom of Kurdish ethnicity, are under control and received regular treatment. Most of the cases in Kurdistan Region are people returning from abroad.
Last year some 75 foreign visitors were denied entry into Kurdistan Region after their HIV tests returned positive. “We will keep on, strengthen, our measures to control the disease” says Hawrami.
The low prevalence of HIV in Kurdistan Region, roughly 0.0005% of the population, is in stark contrast to the global prevalence of roughly 0.5% as of 2009.
As of August this year 150 people had been arrested as prostitutes in Sulaimaniya alone. The world's oldest profession is notorious for spreading viruses like HIV.
As laws against prostitution are punitive Kurdistan Region's sex trade is underground. Many sex workers move to Kurdish cities from less secure and secular parts of Iraq. These women work out of sight of the law and cannot be compelled to be tested for HIV.
The KRG Ministry of Health is planning to launch an awareness campaign on Thursday to mark World AIDS Day. The campaign will feature workshops, forums and adverts to educate people about the disease, its causes and effects and how to avoid it.
Link: http://almadapaper.net/news.php?action=view&id=54063
http://www.almashriqnews.com/inp/view.asp?ID=7867
http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/274868/
MDG 7
Ensure environmental sustainability – Safe drinking water & basic sanitation
Access to Safe Water
Nothing to report
______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)
Landmine casualties reach 1,300 in southern Iraqi province
Amara – Azzaman Newspaper, Voice of Iraq News & All Iraq News, Nov. 28
A survey in the southern Province of Maysan has registered 1,300 landmine casualties in its first 10 days of work.
The survey, conducted by the province’s Health Department, is not yet finished and more time is needed for a full picture, said Maytham al-Fartousi, the department’s head.
The survey includes specialists from the ministries of health and environment.
The department has set up a special team to account for casualties caused by landmines.
Maysan borders Iran and it is estimated the province still has more than 5 million landmines awaiting clearance.
“The team … has registered 1,300 casualties, as victims to landmines and unexploded ordnances within the province,” said Fartousi.
Fartousi added that there was more “bad” news to come as “the province sits on 5 million unexploded landmines.”
The aim of the survey is to have an inventory of all those wounded by the landmines in order to have them rehabilitated, he added.
Link: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2011-11-28\kurd.htm
http://www.sotaliraq.com/mobile-news.php?id=32604#axzz1f6R54Elh
http://alliraqnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19362:2011-11-26-07-05-46&catid=39:2011-04-08-17-26-45&Itemid=58
______
Youth Employment
Nothing to report
______
Orphans
Nothing to report
______
Child Labour
Nothing to report
______
Violence Against Children (beating, maiming, killing, abduction, trafficking, sexual, forced genital mutilation, etc.)
Ministry of Culture prepares for the Second International Children Culture Conference next month
Baghdad – Dawaa & Mutamar Newspapers, Nov. 30
Ministry of Culture announced the Child Culture House’s readiness to hold the Second International Children Culture Conference, which will be held from 12 to 14 of next December.