Unbelieveable

Children’s lives are mired in difficulty in Iran.  Each month, more than 100 children die as a result of famine, street fights, and illness.  National authorities are searching for ways to check the flow of child trafficking and child labor.  However, it is sometimes authorities who themselves violate the most fundamental of children’s rights.  Iran is one of the last countries in the world that allows the death penalty for those under the age of 18.
Although Iran is rich in natural resources, these resources are often stolen or rerouted through drug trafficking or terrorist networks.  In this manner, much of the population cannot profit from the country’s natural wealth.

Thus, much of the population lives in poverty. According to official reports, 80% of the Iranian population lives below the poverty line.  Children in rural areas are the most affected by this problem.
Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the “right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.”  Iran has a very high mortality rate for children under the age of 5.  Premature birth, pneumonia, pelvic congestion, and diarrhea are the main causes of infant mortality.
Although maternal health care has improved in the last few years, malnutrition is still a serious problem among mothers and children, especially in rural areas.
Education is free and required up to age 11.  In rural areas, however, school attendance is low, particularly among girls.  The most far-flung reaches of the country still require numerous improvements in infrastructure.