DAFOH has primarily addressed forced organ harvesting crimes, rather than organ trafficking in general. We recognize, however, that organ trafficking practices often rely on vulnerable groups, such as migrants and poverty-stricken populations, and may be forced on victims. Consequently, in this newsletter, we report recent events surrounding organ trafficking and the actions being taken to address these crimes.
“Red Market” trafficking, an economic system based on the sale of human beings or their organs, is particularly problematic in countries with high rates of poverty, according to a recent article in the International Business Times. The World Health Organization has compiled a list of countries with significant red markets such as India, China, Columbia, Costa Rica and the Philippines.
Red market economies rely heavily not only on poverty stricken populations but also on individuals willing to pay high prices to obtain organs. Organs Watch, a medical documentation project created at the University of California, named Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the Unites States as countries with the highest rates of patients buying organs.
Australia recently witnessed its first known case of organ trafficking when a Filipino woman disclosed that she had been promised a working visa if she supplied a dying woman with an organ.
A new episode of Off the Grid – Silent Death on a Syrian Journey, produced by TRT World, Turkey’s first English-language international news platform, exposes the explosive organ trade in the Middle East.
Human trafficking prevention is being conducted in Nigeria through the NGO Devatop Centre for Africa Development. The organization has collaborated with the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria to train 45 National Youth Service Corps members in combating human trafficking and organ harvesting.
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences recently issued a statement descrying human trafficking, organ trafficking and related “crimes against humanity,” as well as the responsibilities nations and their judicial authorities have in preventing and penalizing these crimes.
As the international community becomes increasingly aware of trafficking violations around the world, DAFOH urges the world to also address the genocide for organs in China.
