Nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives already paid for by the US are en route from Belgium to France for incineration.
The pills, intrauterine devices and condoms have been held at a warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium, since January, following President Donald Trump's decision to freeze foreign aid. The family planning supplies will be burnt in France following transport — an operation that will cost taxpayers an additional $167,000, according to a state department spokesperson who confirmed the decision with The Guardian.
The administration has reportedly denied offers from family planning organizations and the United Nations to purchase and distribute the supplies to women in need. According to MSI Reproductive Choices associate director of advocacy Sarah Shaw, the government would only accept full price for the products, which her global family planning organization could not afford on top of transport.
"It's not just about an empty shelf," Shaw told the Guardian. "It's about unfulfilled potential. It's about a girl having to drop out of school. It's about someone having to seek an unsafe abortion and risking their lives."
The halt in aid is part of a broader DOGE initiative dismantling USAID .
Earlier this month, reports revealed the Trump administration's plans to incinerate 500 metric tons of emergency food aid—enough to feed 1.5 million starving children in Gaza for a week. The food, stored in the UAE, was deemed expired but, according to career USAID staff, could still have been distributed safely.
The freeze in aid has also delayed delivery of mpox vaccines promised to African countries experiencing outbreaks. A Politico report found nearly 800,000 doses will expire in less than six months, making them ineligible for shipment.
Despite objections from humanitarian organizations who argue the rigid application of the administration's policy is hurting vulnerable populations, the White House maintains that it is protecting taxpayer funds and adhering to legal restrictions on aid to agencies that offer abortion.
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