BAGHDAD -- The United Nations Children Fund said Sunday it was deeply concerned about the sudden upsurge of diarrhea in the Iraqi capital, particularly among children.

UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy expressed the concern during a news conference in Baghdad after a visit to a children's hospital in the city.

"We have seen a surge in diarrhea cases," said Bellamy. This was exacerbated by the problem of water and sanitation in the city, due mainly to infrastructure damage caused by looters, DPA reported.

Bellamy was on a three-day tour of the country to draw attention to the plight of children, especially in the immediate aftermath of the United States-led war against the regime of Saddam Hussein.

She held a string of meetings in Baghdad with representatives of nongovernmental groups, local officials and officials from the office of reconstruction and humanitarian assistance.

She said she also held a "good discussion" with Paul Bremer, the top U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, and had stressed to him the importance of stepping up efforts to improve security.

Humanitarian agencies have complained that poor security was impeding their efforts. Bremer reportedly told Bellamy that security was his top priority. "I certainly hope it is," Bellamy said.

The situation of children was already bad enough before the war, according to UNICEF. The agency's figures show that one in eight Iraqi children died before the age of five before the war.

One quarter of children were malnourished and a quarter were out of school. UNICEF recently launched a campaign to support children returning to school and encourage those staying at home to return.

"Based on reality or not, many parents are afraid to send their children back to school," Bellamy said. The "great majority" of schools "are not in good shape", she added.

A UNICEF campaign will target an estimated 3.5 million schoolchildren, 61,000 schools and cost upwards of 14 million dollars, which the agency has yet to raise.

It will include bringing in school supplies and recreational material. Bellamy also expressed concern about unexploded ordnance, particularly around hospitals and schools.

UNICEF and other agencies have identified up to 1,700 "high risk" areas in Baghdad alone, only 400 of which have been cleared.