High number of babies abandoned: based on research undertaken in 20031, evidence
indicated that an average of 110 new born babies were being abandoned in Khartoum every
month. Half were estimated to die before receiving any assistance while those who survived abandonment
were admitted to a state orphanage, Maygoma, where mortality rates stood at over 80
per cent. Research suggested that the majority of abandoned babies were born outside marriage.
Stigma associated with bearing a child out of wedlock, and concerns about possible action by the
authorities led many mothers to abandon babies on the streets, without seeking professional care
for their child.