(UNICEF) – More than 200 children were released by armed groups in South Sudan on Thursday. It was the third such ceremony to take place since the beginning of the year and brings the total number of children released in 2018 to 806. Additional releases are expected in the coming months that could result in more than 1,000 children being freed. “Every a time a child is released and able to return to their family, it’s a source of great hope – hope for their future and for the future of the country,” said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF’s Representative in South Sudan. “We also hope there will be many more of these events until there are no longer any children in the ranks of armed groups.”