Pray for children in Iraq

Iraq is a dangerous and difficult place to live for everyone, but as always in wars and disasters, children are the most vulnerable.

One of the biggest problems facing families is displacement. Violence, poverty and insecurity have caused around two million people to flee abroad to other parts of the Middle East, and another 700,000 to move from their homes to other regions of Iraq. It is disorientating to leave your home as a child, not knowing where you are going, ending up in a new place with unfamiliar surroundings. Seeing your parents afraid and running away is a deeply unsettling experience, too.

Often, parents can’t find regular work once they have been displaced. This makes it hard for them to provide the right food for their children, and about 9% of Iraqi children now suffer from acute malnutrition. This can have a lifelong effect, as it stunts growth and damages their physical and mental development.

Please pray for children to adjust to new homes easily and naturally. Pray for good facilities for refugees, with opportunities for work and the right support.

Pray too for access to healthy, nutritious food for children, especially for those who are suffering from malnutrition.

The conflict makes it hard to carry on with education as normal. Many schools, particularly in Baghdad, are shut due to the frequent bombings and shootings. Children lack a routine and get further behind in their learning, while parents worry about them being ill-equipped to find work as adults.

But schooling was a problem even before the current crisis. Years of sanctions and economic deprivation meant that many young people, particularly girls, did not finish their education. Projects like UNICEF’s Accelerated Learning Programme are now giving tens of thousands of young people the chance to learn in an informal setting, getting the qualifications and skills they need for adult life.

Thank God for the Accelerated Learning Programme and pray that other schemes will help more children get back into the education system. Pray for the government to make education a priority, and for schools to be protected from violence and damage.

Growing up in an environment where violence is commonplace is harmful. Children can end up withdrawn and fearful, or they can begin to see these horrors as normal. Many have witnessed the deaths of family or friends, and this trauma can affect their lives for years. As Sunnis and Shi’a clash, there is a danger that this young generation will grow up with deeply held views of ethnic differences and divisions.

Please pray for God to heal the hearts of children who have lost people they love. Pray for them to know God’s Father heart, and to find comfort in him.

Pray for peace to take hold in the region – for wisdom for the government, troops, and the international community as they work for peace.

For more information on children at risk worldwide: Viva network www.viva.org

Please encourage your children to pray for the children of Iraq. For an excellent worship song to help children pray click here to listen - song from FWR by Mike Burn - lyrics here

BBC Newsround has a good article and links on what life is like for Iraqi kids here