Iraq's deputy director for Save the Children Aram Shakaram and Head of UNICEF's Erbil office Maulid Warfa discussed the possible dangers children face once extracted from areas retaken from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL), in Erbil, Wednesday.

Warfa stressed that minors "go through extreme severe distress" whilst living under IS control, noting that many develop physcological issues including a fear of strangers, as well as physical injuries. He explained that the children are potentially vulnerable to abuse and trafficking, stressing "any bad group could go get those children and harm them."

In turn, Shakaram reported that, "Nearly 90 per cent of children have lost a member of their family, either they were kidnapped or killed." He explained that although they are working to help children, they simply do not have enough resources, due to the shear numbers of children in need. He concluded, "Ultimately, the support comes from family, from the government and the extended family, that once we connect the children, they are, everybody is keen to receive them and support them."