Belgium asks US not to destroy millions in contraceptives bound for Africa

As part of its reduction of foreign aid, Belgium has demanded that US President Donald Trump’s administration stop planning to destroy a sizable stockpile of women’s contraceptives.

Maxime Prevot, the country’s foreign minister, said the stockpile was primarily heading for sub-Saharan Africa in an interview on Friday.

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The US Agency for International Development (USAID) under former president Joe Biden confirmed last month that the administration intended to destroy the supplies, which are unused and had already been purchased.

According to Prevot, “We continue to vigorously advocate against such waste” through diplomatic channels, according to the AFP news agency.

It is thought that about $10 million will be invested in the stockpile. Implants and intrauterine devices, which have long been crucial to the birth control campaigns of the humanitarian community, are included.

Prevot claimed that some of the supplies had already been moved out of their previous warehouse and were being kept in poor storage conditions.

Additionally, the Belgian diplomat sparked controversy over reports that claimed the contraceptives had been shipped to France for acineration.

We have intervened to say, “OK, you are changing your policy, whether it is at the US Embassy or directly in Washington.” We regret it, but he asked that you at least let the right people receive the goods that have already been purchased.

Flanders, Belgium’s self-governing, Dutch-speaking northern region, reported to Reuters news agency that the contraceptives are currently being stored in a warehouse in Geel, a municipality in the Antwerp province.

According to the Flemish spokesperson, the region’s ban on destroying medical waste prevented the supplies from being incinerated even if they were transported to another nation.

The spokesperson continued, “We have not received any such requests to this date,” adding that the Dutch government was willing to talk with US authorities about the situation.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has overseen a significant overhaul of US foreign aid. That included destroying USAID and cleaving billions of dollars in humanitarian funding.

Humanitarian organizations and UN officials have been in the dark about the US’s aid cuts, leading to shortages of essential supplies used to combat hunger, stop disease, and stop unwanted pregnancy.