The city of Darkhan is Mongolia's third-largest city. It is situated in the north of the country, close to the Russian border. Its name in Mongolian means "smithy", which refers to the city's intended purpose when it was founded in 1961. Darkhan was conceived as a Soviet-style industrial region and was built with extensive economic assistance from the Soviet Union. The main trading partners for its industry were the then COMECON countries. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the economic situation deteriorated. Today, Darkhan has the highest infant mortality rate in the country.
SOS Children's Village Darkhan is located in a residential area on the outskirts of the city. The plot of land was given to SOS Children's Villages by the city authorities free of charge.
The village consists of 14 family houses for up to 140 children, the village director's house, a house for the so-called SOS aunts (family helpers who support the SOS mothers and fill in for them when they are ill or on leave), a multi-purpose hall and an administration and service area. A government school and a kindergarten are close by.