Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
The U.S. government is preparing to incinerate nearly $10 million worth of unused contraceptives in France, after rejecting multiple offers to reroute the supplies to developing countries, according to sources and documents reviewed by Reuters.
The contraceptives—including implants, pills, and intrauterine devices—have been warehoused for months in Geel, Belgium, following President Donald Trump’s January decision to shut down USAID and freeze billions in foreign aid. The planned incineration will cost American taxpayers an additional $160,000, according to four sources familiar with the operation.
Despite appeals from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and global reproductive health nonprofits, the Trump administration refused to release the supplies, citing compliance with the Mexico City policy, which bars U.S. aid to any organization involved in abortion services.
“This is clearly not about saving money,” said Sarah Shaw, Associate Director of Advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices, which offered to cover repackaging and shipping costs. “It feels more like an ideological assault on reproductive rights.”
Offers Rejected, Supplies Headed to Incinerator
The contraceptive supplies, valued at $9.7 million, are still within usable date ranges—some expiring as late as September 2031, according to internal documents verified by three sources.
Both MSI and UNFPA proposed buying or repurposing the supplies for use in underserved regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, where contraception access remains critically low. The U.S. State Department declined those offers, reportedly due to concerns over USAID branding and the potential for the supplies to end up with groups offering abortion services, even indirectly.
“We were told that the U.S. government would only sell at full market value,” said Shaw, noting the refusal undermines global health efforts.
One source familiar with the talks confirmed that the Trump administration viewed any risk of abortion-related use—no matter how remote—as disqualifying under the reinstated Mexico City policy.
Dozens of Truckloads, Weeks of Transport
The disposal process is now underway, with dozens of truckloads of supplies being transferred from Belgium to a French incineration facility that handles medical waste. The full operation is expected to take at least two weeks, according to two sources, and has drawn backlash from lawmakers and advocacy groups alike.
Two bills aimed at halting the destruction have been introduced in Congress this month, but observers say they are unlikely to pass in time to prevent it.
“Sexual and reproductive health must not be subject to ideological constraints,” said Belgium’s foreign ministry in a statement, noting it had attempted to delay or reroute the supplies.
Impact on Global Health, U.S. Policy Debates
This move comes amid a growing clash over reproductive rights in U.S. foreign policy, particularly since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. With Trump’s return to office in 2024, abortion has once again become a centerpiece of the administration’s domestic and international agenda.
Advocates warn the incineration will worsen health outcomes for women and girls in low-income countries, particularly where access to contraception is already limited.
“These supplies could prevent thousands of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions,” said Shaw. “Their destruction isn’t just wasteful—it’s dangerous.”
The U.S. State Department, USAID, and Chemonics, the logistics contractor responsible for managing the supply chain, all declined to comment on the destruction or failed negotiations.
UNFPA has also stayed silent, but internal sources confirmed that its offer to purchase the supplies outright was met with no response from Washington.
As the contraceptives make their way to the incinerator, the international community is left grappling with what many are calling an ideological purge of humanitarian health aid—one that carries long-term consequences for global reproductive health and U.S. credibility abroad.
