The head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called on both sides in the Iraq war to give priority to children's safety.
"We're very concerned about reports of deaths and injuries among children and women," said Ms Carol Bellamy, UNICEF's executive director, in a written statement.
Describing the losses as tragic and unacceptable, she said: "But the truth is the world does not have a very clear picture of the humanitarian impact of the fighting.
"There is a disturbing lack of focus on the civilian population," she said.
UNICEF said the situation in the southern city of Basra, where ground fighting is raging in the city's outskirts, was "of particular concern".
The water supply has been interrupted in the city after electricity was knocked out, and Ms Bellamy warned people were at risk of disease from unsafe water.
The UN agency is working to get water tankers into Basra, she added.
UNICEF has over 150 local staff in Iraq after the evacuation of UN international staff, although none of them are in Basra.
AFP