‘Nation of one kidney’: Scarred by poverty, more Afghans turn to illicit organ trade
KABUL: When Fateh Shah and his two brothers sought to escape a debt trap a couple of years ago, he says they were left with two options: To either commit a crime to pay off their lenders or to sell their kidneys.
“We were fed up with their repeated harassment,” Shah, 35, told Arab News.
They fled to neighbouring Iran “with the help of a smuggler,” hoping to find a job there and send part of their earnings back home to pay off their debts in stages.
“But we got into more debt as we were deported soon after arriving in Iran … The smuggler became our new lender, demanding money for the trip. It was a nightmare,” Shah said.
The…