Palestinians claim that most of the medicines sent into Gaza are past their expiration date, Al-Jazeera reported on Wednesday.The Al Jazeera article adds that some of the dialysis equipment sent by an aid convoy was useless, that despite calls for specific types of medicines the donors have not responded, and that the many tons of expired medicines must be buried in landfills - but they don't have the equipment to do so properly, and these landfills can therefore become an environmental problem.
"They're bringing more harm than good," the article explained, describing expired medicines and broken supplies sent by different countries and organizations.
Mounir el-Barash, director of the donations department in Gaza's Ministry of Health told al-Jazeera that only 30% of the aid sent into the Gaza Strip is used.
Gaza officials also expressed anger at receiving burial shrouds for children from Arab countries.
As I've mentioned in the past, Arab donors have consistently reneged on their pledges to help Gaza.
I could be cynical and say that they do this deliberately in order to make Israel look bad, but I think the reason is simpler: Arab nations are no fans of Hamas and they (the Gulf states especially) like to donate money where their investments have a chance of paying dividends - and in Gaza, their money is wasted because there is no way for it to help solve the problems permanently.
(h/t Vicious Babushka and Jameel)