JEDDAH — Used clothes are sold openly in the city markets in the absence of proper monitoring by officials and with no assurances that they are free of contamination.
Samir Al-Silmy, security director at one of the open markets in Jeddah, said at least some of the clothes sold in the market were from donations by family members of people who have died.
“The family of a dead person usually donates his or her clothes to the poor but some people take them to sell in the market at cheap prices. They know that those in need will not care about the potential health risks of wearing used clothes,” Al-Silmy told Makkah daily.
He said most of the vendors who sell used clothes in the market are poor people of African origin.
“The clothes they sell belong to accident victims and people who have died from various diseases," Al-Silmy said.
Many people would buy such clothes without realizing the potential harms. "People who come to buy these clothes are poor and uneducated. They don't understand the health risks they pose or they just simply don't care,” he added.
Al-Silmy said the management of the market in the past tried to prevent the vendors from selling used clothes but they largely ignore such warnings. “The municipality has seized used clothes from the market several times but to no avail. As long as there is demand from consumers for used clothes, street vendors will keep selling them,” said Al-Silmy.
Abdulmajeed Tantawi, an Arab resident, said he usually buys used clothes because they are very cheap.
“I don't care where the clothes came from or who wore them. I buy clothes in great numbers, clean them and send them to my family back home. We can't afford new clothes from retail shops,” said Tantawi.
Dermatologist Dr. Khalid Afif said wearing used clothes without knowing who wore them before is extremely dangerous.
“The fabric can be a transmitter for many infectious and contagious diseases. Those who sell used clothes do not usually wash them because they don't want them to look worn out. As a result, the harmful bacteria and viruses would remain in the clothes and would infect people who wear them,” said Afif.
Jeddah Municipality spokesman Mohammad Al-Bugamy said the municipality runs regular inspection campaigns to seize all products harmful for consumers. “Our inspection teams seize food, clothes, draperies, furniture, chemical solutions, cleaning products, toiletries and any products that pose a potential harm for the consumer. We destroy tons of harmful products seized from the market every week," said Al-Bugamy.
"Piles of used clothes in the market is a very unappealing sight which tarnishes the city's image,” he added.
