U.S.-Based NGOs Asked to Help Halt Spiraling Orphan Crisis Amid Iraq's Nation-Building Efforts

U.S.-Based NGOs Asked to Help Halt Spiraling Orphan Crisis Amid Iraq's
Nation-Building Efforts

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Iraqi leaders including Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki have taken initial steps to avert an unparalleled
orphan crisis by supporting the link between an Iraqi orphan initiative and
two U.S.-based non-governmental organizations.

The joint effort brings together Iraq-based Sponsor Iraqi Orphan Foundation
(SIOF) with Sponsor Iraqi Children Foundation (SICF) of Falls Church, Va., and
The Children's Village of New York.

The two U.S.-based nonprofit organizations have set a rare training session in
early 2010 for Iraq's national and community-based care providers to build
high-performing organizations. The U.S. organizations met with 30 orphan
organizations Oct. 4 and 5 to set plans in motion.

Predictions are that the unparalleled number of orphans in Iraq resulting from
war and violence could cause insurmountable social problems in succeeding
generations. Iraq has an estimated 2.5 million orphans. One in 10 Iraqis is a
young orphan. Only about 1 in 1,000 orphans receives services beyond food and
shelter.

"Iraqi leaders believe their country's orphans of today will potentially be a
torrent of street beggars, criminals and even militants of tomorrow," said
Maxwell Quqa, SICF president and former advisor to Iraqi-based diplomatic and
military personnel.

The crisis is the result of adult deaths during years of violence and war. The
loss of scores of male Iraqis in this paternalistic Muslim country also left a
multitude of widows too destitute to care for their children.

In 2007, Quqa felt compassion for orphans he noticed on the streets of Baghdad
and joined with an equally concerned Dr. Ali AlDabbagh, a leading spokesman of
the Iraqi government, to seek solutions.

Maliki voiced support Oct. 6, stating, "I pledge to you to give the NGOs of
Iraq all needed support. We will give you [Iraqi NGOs] a semi-official status
and will do all we can to help you to remedy the Iraqi orphans crisis." The
meeting was broadcast live on national Iraqi TV.

CV will provide fundamental training on trauma recovery, child development,
foster care, extended family assimilation of orphans, organizational
leadership and administration.

"The most vulnerable Iraqi today -- the orphan -- demands our most immediate
attention," said Jeremy Kohomban, president and CEO of Children's Village.

The October trip was made possible by generous corporate donations from Triple
Canopy, The Almco Group and BH Defense.

For more information, visit www.sicfiraq.org or call 703-953-4919.

SOURCE Sponsor Iraqi Children Foundation

Sponsor Iraqi Children Foundation Press Information Office, +1-703-953-4919