JUBA, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Wednesday welcomed the release of hundreds of former child soldiers who were associated with armed groups in the western parts of South Sudan.
UNMISS said the first group of 311 children were freed on Wednesday in the town of Yambio, including 87 girls.
The peacekeeping mission said in a statement that the ex-combatants will be reintegrated into their communities and taught new skills to support themselves.
The UN mission said out of total 700 children screened and registered for release in phases, 563 belong to the South Sudan National Liberation Movement (SSNLM) rebel group and 137 others were associated with the Sudan In-Opposition (SPLA-IO).
David Shearer, head of UNMISS, said it is the first time so many young women have been involved in a release like this in South Sudan.
"They will have endured suffering, including sexual abuse. It is vital that they receive the support they need to rejoin their communities and that they are welcomed home by family and friends without any sense of stigma," he said.
According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) report of 2017, some 19,000 children have been recruited by armed groups in South Sudan since conflict erupted in 2013.
UNIECF warned that an entire generation of children is at risk as they face death, injury, hunger, disease, recruitment, forced displacement and absence of education.
The various warring parties on Dec. 21 last year signed a cessation of hostilities agreement and agreed to surrender enlisted children to UNICEF within 14 days, but it was yet to be complied with.
Shearer said the major challenge ahead is to ensure the children get support they need to undertake training, find jobs and access the opportunities they deserve.
Further releases of children involved in the conflict will see another 450 child soldiers released under the program, international charity World Vision said.
"These are boys and girls who worked directly with armed groups in a number of different ways that included active involvement in the conflict, as well as domestic work," Mesfin Loha, National Director of World Vision South Sudan said in a separate statement.
"We are particularly concerned about a number of girls being released who have experienced sexual or gender-based violence. We will get them the support they require, so that they have a sense of hope again," Loha added.
According to UN, more than 100,000 children have been directly impacted by incidents of recruitment, abuse, exploitation and other grave violations during the conflict that has raged in South Sudan since 2013. More than 2 million children have been forced to flee their homes, both as refugees to other countries and internally displaced persons.
"South Sudan's children have already seen and experienced unimaginable violence. It is jeopardizing the country's next generation," Loha said.
