Children outside at play at a Save the Children-supported kindergarten in Jordan.

Press Release: Displacement Increases the Vulnerability of Iraqi Children

Five years after the allied invasion of Iraq, Save the Children takes a look at how the lives of two Iraqi familes have changed since they were forced to flee their homes and country because of violence or the threat of violence. The stories of Yakout in Beirut, Lebanon, and Naba in Amman, Jordan, reveal the difficulty of exile lives and the daily challenges facing hundreds of thousands of children.

They also emphasize the importance of education.

Save the Children believes that education can give children protection and hope, and heal divisions and the violence of war. A school can and should be a place of peace.

According to the latest UN estimates, 2.4 million Iraqi children and families have fled their country. As many as 1.4 million are believed to be in Syria, and some 300,000 to 400,000 Iraqis are now in Jordan. The remaining displaced population is spread over other countries in the region, including Egypt and Lebanon

In response to the growing needs of displaced children and families living in Jordan and Lebanon, Save the Children is implementing a regional strategy focusing on education — specifically early childhood programs, assistance in enrolling and keeping children in primary school, and non-formal education for youth, including information technology and English classes.

Read the stories of two displaced Iraqi Children:
Yakout's story, Beirut, Lebanon
Naba's story, Amman, Jordan