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| Burial ground for unwanted babies |
Pakistan - Death of babies abandoned by unwed mothers has significantly risen in Pakistan. Nearly 1,210 newborns were buried in 2010 compared to 999 in 2009 and 890 in 2008- most of them baby girls. Experts blame conservative mindsets for the grave situation and suggest implementation of a comprehensive reproductive health education in school curricula for the young. The graves at a cemetery in Moach Goth have no epitaphs, no verses from the Koran, not even the names of the deceased. The only inscription on the small wooden signs that serve as headstones is a number and the date of burial. The latest one is Number 72,315.This is a burial ground of unclaimed dead, overseen by the Karachi-based Edhi Foundation. It is also the gravesite of newborns abandoned by unwed mothers who face death for bearing the fruit of ‘illicit’ relationships. Full Story>>
Pakistan: Deaths of abandoned newborns on the rise http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/pakistan-deaths-of-abandoned-newborns-on-the-rise
