For months, $9.7 million of contraceptives have been sitting in a Belgian warehouse. They were purchased by the U.S. government for women in developing countries — but as early as today, those contraceptives will be driven to an incineration site to be destroyed.
“They’ve said that this isn’t in alignment with their values,” said a congressional aide who visited that warehouse, referring to the Trump administration. “They’re trying to destroy it all by the end of the month, and I saw some boxes there that aren’t expiring until 2031.”
Between today and the end of July, two loaded trucks will be taking the contraceptives to and from a French incineration site, according to several sources familiar with the matter. It’s a process that is expected to take up to 13 days to complete, with many of the contraceptives — which include hormonal intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and birth control implants — requiring double-incineration.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
