[Today’s Prayer] Tragedy of Myanmar, 'coup d'état and economic collapse'… Increasing number of poor people selling organs through SNS

In Myanmar, where the economy has collapsed due to a military coup and civil war over the past three years, the number of poor people selling their kidneys and other organs through social media to make a living is increasing.

According to CNN on the 31st (local time), Maung Maung (pseudonym), a delivery man living in Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, was detained and tortured for several weeks by the military regime on charges of delivering goods for rebels in late 2022.

During that time, his wife had to borrow money to feed the family, and although he was later released, he was left jobless, penniless and deep in debt.

Maung Maung, who was in a desperate situation, ended up posting on Facebook that he was selling his kidney.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), nearly half of Myanmar's 54 million people currently live below the poverty line, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2017.

People who sell their organs in Myanmar usually go to India to receive organ transplant surgery after a deal is made through a middleman.

Under Indian law, organ donation is only possible between relatives, with few exceptions, and is otherwise illegal.

Therefore, dealers falsify family records with the help of lawyers and notaries, and disguise the organ seller as a relative, such as the spouse, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law of the transplant recipient.

In Maung Maung's case, a wealthy Chinese-Burmese businessman offered to buy his kidney for 10 million kyat (about 4.12 million won), and he became the transplant recipient's fake son-in-law.

In many low-income countries, including Myanmar, Afghanistan and Nepal, organ trafficking is a last resort, but those who sell their organs often suffer serious and sometimes life-threatening health problems.

Typically, kidney donors can live healthy lives with just one kidney, but the biggest risk is not being able to receive proper medical support if problems develop with the remaining kidney after major surgery, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in the United States.

Maung Maung says he does not regret his decision, although he says, "I will probably live for 15 to 20 years at most before I die."

"If I hadn't done it then, my life would have been in chaos," he said. "My wife and children would have had nothing to eat. All three of us would have died or gone mad."

Source: Yonhap News

But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay. (Psalm 40:17)

God, we hear the distressing news of the growing poverty in Myanmar, and the surge in organ trafficking.

You know how desperate these people are, with so little to live for and nothing to save them, that they resort to desperate measures to survive.

We pray that Your compassion will come upon the land of Myanmar. May there be no more unfortunate cases of people sacrificing their bodies to feed their families. As the global church prays together for Myanmar, we pray that every need in the land will be removed and that we will see You fill and provide.

We believe that you are mindful of the souls in the land of Myanmar; please be their help and strength, and do not delay.

We look to the Lord to be the savior of the land of Myanmar. We rely on you to never leave the side of those who are suffering. May we see the land of Myanmar renewed by your salvation and power.