Millions in US-funded contraceptives headed for incineration in Europe

Nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives funded by the U.S. are set to be destroyed in France after being held up in Belgium for months, sources told Reuters.

These supplies, which include contraceptive implants, pills, and intrauterine devices intended to prevent unwanted pregnancies, were originally meant for distribution in low-income countries.

The stockpile has been stranded in a warehouse in Geel, located in Belgium’s Antwerp province, following a freeze on U.S. foreign aid announced by President Donald Trump in January. Despite efforts by the United Nations and family planning organisations to purchase or redistribute the supplies, Washington declined these offers, leading to the decision to incinerate the contraceptives.

According to four sources familiar with the situation, the U.S. government will spend approximately $160,000 to burn the contraceptives at a medical waste facility in France. This move is a consequence of Trump’s shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and his reinstatement of the Mexico City policy — an anti-abortion directive that bars U.S. funding from organisations that provide or promote abortion services.

An internal document reviewed by three sources confirms that the contraceptives, valued at $9.7 million, are set to expire between April 2027 and September 2031.

One source explained that the administration could not guarantee that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) would prevent the supplies from reaching abortion providers, which would violate the Mexico City policy. Additionally, the contraceptives are marked with the USAID logo, and Washington refused to reroute these USAID-branded items elsewhere.

Belgium’s Foreign Ministry stated that the country had engaged in talks with U.S. officials and explored every possible option, including relocating the supplies temporarily to avoid their destruction. “Despite these efforts, and with full respect for our partners, no viable alternative could be secured,” the ministry said, while emphasizing that “sexual and reproductive health must not be subject to ideological constraints.”

Meanwhile, aid organizations and advocacy groups condemned the decision. MSI, which campaigns for access to contraception and abortion services, accused the U.S. State Department of being “hellbent on destroying life-saving medical supplies” and incurring unnecessary costs for American taxpayers. The State Department declined to comment on the situation.

U.S. lawmakers have introduced two bills this month aimed at preventing the destruction of these contraceptives, but aid groups warn these measures are unlikely to pass in time.

The issue of abortion remains deeply divisive in U.S. politics and was a major point of contention during the 2024 election cycle, which saw Donald Trump return to the presidency. In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion, leaving the decision to individual states.

By Tamilla Hasanova