Dear Editor,
There is a saying that poverty is a crime. So many people are forced because of poverty to engage in activities that are physically and psychologically harmful to them just in order to earn some money. There is for instance, the case of some thirty-three Bangladeshis who were so desperate for cash that they sold their kidneys for a relative pittance.
In a situation where over a billion people in the developing world are forced to live on less than US$2 per day, a few hundred dollars seem like a fortune. The sad thing is that these people found themselves in a much worse situation as they are now left with deteriorating health, social isolation, more bills than money and ugly scars up to 22 inches long, according to an article by Lee Dye from ABC News.
These are disturbing facts especially when seen against the billions of dollars that are wasted on unnecessary wars and conspicuous lifestyles in the more affluent countries. The worrying thing is that the demand for kidneys is growing in the United States where more than 100,000 Americans are waiting for an organ and more are added every year. This has given rise to a flourishing organ black market with most of the victims coming from the impoverished world.
Many Haitians were at one time forced into selling their blood out of desperation to provide for themselves and their families.
Capitalizing on human poverty and deprivation is not only unethical and immoral but also a crime against humanity. Every effort should be made by the international community to curb these unsavory practices.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
