Iraqi children excitedly head off to school. Volunteer parents ensure that children make it safely to and from class on the bus.

Westport, Conn. (March 18, 2008) — On the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, Save the Children is urging the United States and other donor nations to take decisive action to address the desperate plight of Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the ongoing conflict.

The movement of families — including tens of thousands of children — is on a scale not seen in the Middle East since 1948.

"Far too little has been done to address the heightened vulnerability of Iraq's children caught up in this massive displacement of people," said Charles F. MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children.

"Many Iraqi children have experienced incredible distress, the death of family members, the abandonment of homes, the loss of education opportunities, and broken families, schools and lives," said MacCormack. "From a humanitarian point of view, a rapid, comprehensive and robust international response is required to ensure they are protected."

Save the Children, which provides quality formal and informal education programs to tens of thousands of displaced Iraqi children and youth in Jordan and Lebanon, is urging the international community to provide immediate, direct assistance to needy displaced families within Iraq and throughout the region.

"Humanitarian organizations and U.N. agencies lack sufficient funding to reach many displaced families, and children continue to suffer," said Dennis Walto, country director for Save the Children in Jordan. "At the same time, countries providing sanctuary to Iraqis are seeing their education and health systems stretched to the breaking point. Rebuilding Iraq and rebuilding children's lives will take time. This mission is by no means accomplished."

Save the Children has been working in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Yemen for decades. The agency works to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 120 countries.

Read more about our current response for displaced Iraqis in Jordan