Four children were killed and two injured in the past week, the organization said in its statement.

The number of child casualties from such explosions grew by 67 percent from the previous years, according to figures from UNICEF, which stated 79 children were killed or injured due to explosive remnants of war (ERW) and unexploded ordnance in 2020.

"These events occurred in Babil province and Baghdad and happened while children were doing daily chores, such as collecting wood,” UNICEF said in its statement.

Three people were killed in a blast from unexploded war remnants in Imam sub-district in the north of Babil governorate last week. Security detachments found the bodies of a man and two children at the scene of the explosion.

The organization called on the Iraqi government and the donor community to support awareness programs for children and members of the community. UNICEF also asked for "all parties to accelerate every effort to clear existing mines and unexploded ordnance.”

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