Syrian refugees in Turkey resort to selling organs from their bodies just to cover their daily needs, through brokers who take advantage of the issue of "organ donation" and turn it into a lucrative trade in human organs.
Abu Abdullah still feels pain in his side. The Syrian refugee, who has lived in Turkey for four years, sold one of his colleges to brokers who trade in human organs, in order to escape financial hardship. "Selling organs for survival" is the title of the documentary published by the American "CBS" channel, which presented the story of Abu Abdullah.
The story started when Abu Abdullah saw posts on Facebook in which some people offered sums of money for human organs. Abu Abdullah agreed with a member-trading broker to sell one of his kidneys for $ 10,000.
There are groups on Facebook where human organs are trafficked under the name "organ donation."
Whereas "donors" publish their information, such as nationality, blood group and even phone numbers, brokers offer members different amounts for each member, and most of these offers relate to the kidneys. One of these brokers wrote in one of the groups: "We offer you a money-donating insurance service, while facilitating hospital procedures."
While trafficking in human organs is prohibited in Turkey, "organ donation" among persons with a family relationship is permitted, and this is what is used by brokers.
Abu Abdullah says that, before he underwent the operation, the hospital's medical staff asked him to verbally confirm that he was related to the donor. Even in cases where this "verbal assertion" is not sufficient - according to the documentary - false documents are used that appear as if the person is donating his kidneys to a relative, even if in reality he does not know who is his "supposed relative."
After the operation ended, Abu Abdullah received only half of the agreed amount, then the telephone line of the broker was cut off and "disappeared".
Other Syrian refugees have gone through similar stories, such as Umm Muhammad, the mother of three, who has sold half of her liver for $ 4,000, in order to pay the rent for the house for two years.
Selling the refugees, their members, was not surprised by the Syrian businessman, Yaqzan Shishakli, who founded an organization to help refugees in Turkey. “They have no other options,” Shishakli told CBS. “They think: It's okay if I die. But at least I will get some money to give to my family,” noting that the conditions in which refugees live are “very poor.” And they sleep "without shelter and without food on some nights."
But Dr. Muhammad, a Syrian doctor who lives in Turkey, sees that there are other reasons behind the sale of some of their refugees, and he adds: "The resort to selling the organs is caused by a mixture of poverty, lack of awareness and deceit by the promises of the brokers." He adds: "There are many refugees who may Their conditions are worse than those in Abu Abdullah or Umm Muhammad, but they do not think of resorting to this method and try to solve their financial problems in other ways. "
Dr. Muhammed stresses the need for the Turkish authorities to address the "loopholes" that allow brokers to convert organ donation into human trafficking, by placing more emphasis on hospitals in this matter.
And the issue of selling refugees members in Turkey is not new. In July 2019, the issue made the headlines in Turkish newspapers after the police arrested a Syrian refugee in a hospital in Istanbul before starting the process of transferring his kidney for 10,000 dollars, in a deal that was done through social networking sites and through a mediator Also, it quoted the Turkish newspaper "Cumhuriyet".
Although the Turkish authorities are chasing gangs and brokers to trade in organs, one of the brokers, who was being photographed secretly by the CBS team, said he was continuing with his work and had conducted dozens of similar operations.
A investigative investigation by a team from German Channel One revealed two years ago that Syrian refugees were selling their human organs in Turkey for the sake of living. The report stated that most of the customers are wealthy from western countries. Also in the case of Abu Abdullah, the Syrian refugee believes that the person who received his kidney is a European citizen.
Dr. sees. Muhammed that European countries also bear responsibility for the bad conditions in which Syrian refugees live in Turkey, pointing out that European countries can help "alleviate" the problem of selling refugees to their organs by increasing aid, and he adds: "The problem is that aid is scarce and its delivery methods are twisted."
As for resolving many of the problems that Syrian refugees suffer in Turkey, according to Dr. Muhammad, it will not take place until the refugees return to their country after the crisis ends, "so that the daily suffering of the Syrians ends."