Syrian refugees selling kidneys to survive
An influx of destitute Syrian refugees has made Lebanon a hub for organ trafficking.
Lebanon: a country where there are sick people with money, healthy Syrian refugees without money, skilled doctors, and no effective government regulation. It’s a perfect mix for black-market organ trafficking, according to Der Spiegel. The German news magazine interviewed an organ broker who was happily sourcing kidneys from young Syrians desperate for cash.
One of his clients was Raid, a 19-year-old former player for the Syrian national youth soccer team from Aleppo. Now he, his parents and his six brothers and sisters are all living in Beirut without an income. Raid sold his kidney for about US$7,000; the recipient will probably pay about $14,000. The broker, a 26-year-old named Abu Hussein, will get about $700 as a commission. He is one of five brokers working for a shady boss known as the Big Man. Business is booming: with one million destitute Syrians living in Lebanon, the price for a kidney is falling.
Michael Cook
Creative commons
Lebanon
organ trafficking
Syria
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
Could newborns solve the kidney shortage crisis?
Kidneys from newborn babies could be a “game-changing” solution to organ shortage crisis, according to an American study. According to...
Chinese sperm bank pushes the boundaries in its marketing
With a birth rate of 1.09 and a declining population, there is a sense of urgency in China about reversing...
Chinese scientists grow humanized kidneys in pigs
Chinese scientists have successfully created chimeric embryos containing a combination of human and pig cells. When transferred into surrogate pig...
People born from donor gametes in UK will be able to doorknock their dad
As of October 1, 18-year-olds in the United Kingdom conceived with donor gametes will be able to find out who...
British teen dies after doctors refuse her request for experimental treatment
ST, the 19-year-old woman at the centre of a dispute about mental competence and healthcare in Britain, has died of...
Dodging a bullet: how a report recommending ‘chestfeeding’ and inclusive pronouns almost became the norm in British maternity wards
A transgender maternity report commissioned by public health authorities in the UK last year made headlines by recommending the use...