The Iraqi government says that there are 3.5 million orphans in Iraq; the UN estimate is around one million. <br /><br />Noor Abdul-Rassoul Ali, of the Iraqi Orphan Foundation, estimates that there are about five million orphans.<br /><br />Whatever the true number, the children of war face an uncertain future, Zeina Khodr, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Baghdad, says, which could cause social problems for many more generations.<br /><br />Speaking to Al Jazeera from London on Saturday, Ali said that while a few orphans are being taken into orphanages, many are living on the streets.<br /><br />The Iraqi government is currently only able to assist about a million so; the remaining four million children are receiving no aid, Ali said.<br /><br />She also said that only one in a thousand children receives more than just food and shelter. "Psychological scars are very deep and education is key," she said.<br /><br />Unfortunately, some children as young as 10 years old need to work to support their families.
