1952 UNICEF begins its first
assistance programme

1958 Iraq becomes a republic

1962 UNICEF helps the education system expand

1976 Primary education is made compulsory

1980 Iran/Iraq war begins

1983 UNICEF establishes a permanent presence

1988 Iran/Iraq war ends

1990 Iraq invades Kuwait.

UN sanctions imposed

1991 The Gulf War. Iraq's infrastructure is severely damaged. Violent uprisings in the south and north

1997 UN Security Council Resolution 986 (Oil For Food) is implemented

1998 Civil conflict in the north

1999 South/Central Iraq: child and maternal mortality survey reveals that under-fives die at twice the rate recorded in 1989

2002 South/Central Iraq: nutrition survey reveals a cut in acute child malnutrition from 11% in 1996 to 4% in 2002