UNITED NATIONS, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday that it is scaling up its Iraq emergency operation in order to reach more vulnerable children inside the country.

    UNICEF said violence, isolation and lack of opportunity have put Iraqi children at greater risk of exploitation and abuse.

    The agency said that more than 800,000 Iraqi children are unable to go to school and only 40 percent can access safe water.

    Through its Immediate Action for Vulnerable Children and Family or IMPACT program, UNICEF now aims to provide assistance to over 360,000 Iraqi children this year.

    The program will ensure that the children have access to healthcare, including immunizations and emergency medical assistance, and are protected against malnutrition.

    They will also receive safe drinking water and educational assistance. Abused or otherwise vulnerable women and children will get specialized care on demand.

    "In response to the emergency situation, UNICEF has reflected and worked with partners to better address the needs as we assess them and also be increasingly on the ground with partners. This is where IMPACT Iraq comes from," said Sigrid Kaag, UNICEF's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

    "It is an adaptation to the security situation on the ground ...to allow us to have better access through a number of NGO (nongovernmental organization) partners, as well as communities on the ground to address the needs of education, health water and sanitation as well as protection," she stated.

    It is estimated that over 1.7 million Iraqis have been internally displaced since the beginning of 2006, with half of them being children, the UN says.