Iraqi prime minister hosts Baghdad iftar for war orphans
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi hosted iftar for a group of children orphaned by war on the second day of Ramadan. The event was held at his residence in Baghdad.
Thousands of children became orphans during decades of conflict in Iraq.
“On this blessed month, I call on our people to mark it as an occasion for friendship and unity in the viewpoint of our love for Iraq,” Mr Al Kadhimi said as he marked the beginning of Ramadan.
“I am confident that the near future will be filled with progress, with work, brotherhood, self-sacrifice, and giving priority to the interests of our Iraq.”
During the holy month, Muslims abstain from eating or drinking during daylight hours and break their fast with iftar in the evening.
The Iraqi Children Foundation, a US charity that supports orphans and children vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation, said that more than 800,000 youths lost their parents during the Iraq War, fought between 2003 and 2011.
About 1.3 million children were displaced as a result of the ISIS occupation of the country, the foundation said.
Iraqi authorities declared victory over the extremist group in 2017.
One in five Iraqi children work to support their families or themselves and four in five experience violence at home or in school, the foundation said.
The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the challenges faced by people in Iraq.
The country has recorded the highest number of daily cases of more than 8,300 infections last week.
Health authorities reported 7,972 new cases on Wednesday, increasing the overall number of infections to 949,050, but a lack of testing means the true tally could be far higher.
Nearly 14,850 people have died from the virus since the outbreak began.