80 pct of Iraqi children have suffered violence: UNICEF

The majority of Iraqi children are subject to violence and abuse, UNICEF said Monday.

"Most poor children don't receive any form of government assistance," UNICEF said in a comprehensive study carried out over the last seven years.

"Even with the recent decline in fighting [against the Daesh terrorist group], 80 percent of all children are exposed to violence, either at home or in school," the children's fund said.

According to the study's findings, the lack of secondary education is growing worse, with less than a quarter of children from poor families graduating high school, compared to some three quarters from wealthier families.

UNICEF urged the Iraqi authorities to "invest in services that directly benefit children affected by conflict and poverty and to work towards ending all forms of violence against children".

Iraq is currently seeking support to rebuild the country following a destructive three-year conflict with Daesh that ended late last year.