Children in war-ravaged areas of Sudan have endured unspeakable violations and urgently need protection, according to a report by a network of NGOs monitoring violations against children in situations of armed conflict.

“The violations include killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions, denial of humanitarian assistance, attacks on schools and hospitals, and recruitment and use by armed groups,” the report, released by Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, said on Wednesday.

Noting that the protection and well-being of children in Sudan was at a critical stage, it said: “While children in the south are enjoying improved security and access to services, those in Darfur [western region] face appalling levels of violence and abuse.

“Armed forces and groups in Darfur continue to kill and maim children and youth, and humanitarian agencies have documented cases of armed groups shooting, mutilating and torturing children.”

The report revealed that sexual violence is allegedly perpetrated by all armed groups and is often extremely brutal. “Sexual violence is used by Arab militias…as a tool to subjugate and humiliate non-Arab girls and women, and the acts of sexual violence are often accompanied by racial epithets and other degrading comments.”

The report also noted that school enrolment had decreased, while only one doctor was available for 100,000 people in the south.

“A lot needs to be done since children in Sudan continue to endure some of the most inhumane conditions in the world,” Sarah Spencer, the network’s interim director, said.

The report makes a number of recommendations to l signatories of the 2005 southern Sudan peace agreement, Sudanese authorities, United Nations member states, the humanitarian and donor community, and Sudan’s key trading partners.

“These youth have grown up in such a violent context and did not have a choice; today, education has to provide an alternative to such patterns,” CARE International education programme coordinator in Sudan, Dan Langoya, said at the launch of the report in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. “They have to get used to life outside the military.”