**New Twist in the Saga of U.S.-Purchased Contraceptives Stuck in Belgium**
There’s a new development in the ongoing saga of U.S.-purchased contraceptives intended for sub-Saharan Africa that have been stranded in Belgium. These supplies have been stuck since the Trump administration scaled back foreign aid earlier this year.
This week, questions arose about whether the stockpile—originally valued at $9.7 million—might be larger than previously thought. Additionally, an official on the ground revealed that some of those products have gone bad.
### Improper Storage Puts Millions Worth of Supplies at Risk
Authorities in the Flanders region of Belgium confirmed that along with four truckloads of unexpired birth control stored in a warehouse in the city of Geel, another 20 truckloads of contraceptive supplies were moved to the village of Kallo. Unfortunately, these were stored improperly and are now unusable as contraceptives.
“The medicines in the 20 relocated shipments, due to non-compliant storage, cannot be brought back into circulation,” Jo Brouns, the Flemish minister of the environment, stated in a response to a lawmaker’s question.
However, he noted that medical devices in these shipments—such as syringes used for injectable contraceptives—are still eligible for reuse, provided other pharmaceutical requirements are met.
### Background: U.S. Aid Cuts Impact Family Planning Programs
Earlier this year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled, and the U.S. specifically halted family planning programs. Despite evidence showing these services reduce maternal and newborn deaths, the Trump administration did not deem them lifesaving.
As a result, contraceptives earmarked for girls and women in several low-income countries—including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania, and Zambia—ended up stranded in Belgium.
Several aid organizations sought to purchase and redistribute these supplies of IUDs, implants, and pills, but the U.S. government rejected these offers. The administration cited a policy barring foreign organizations using U.S. funds from providing abortion services, even though none of the products in the stockpile are abortion methods.
### Controversy Over Planned Destruction of Supplies
In July, the U.S. State Department confirmed plans to incinerate the contraceptives in France by the end of the month, despite the fact that the products would not expire until 2027 at the earliest. This announcement sparked outcry from humanitarian groups worldwide.
The Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) warned that destroying this single stockpile could lead to:
– 362,000 unintended pregnancies
– 161,000 unplanned births
– 110,000 unsafe abortions
– 718 preventable maternal deaths
Though the government’s late-July deadline passed without confirmation of destruction, giving respite to aid groups, September reports indicated otherwise.
USAID had told The New York Times that the stocks had been destroyed, but Belgian authorities checked the warehouse and confirmed the supplies were still there.
### More Contraceptives Discovered — In Limbo
Jo Brouns confirmed this week that those in Geel were not the only contraceptives left unused. After an on-site inspection in mid-August, it was discovered that 20 out of the 24 total shipments had been transferred to another storage location in Kallo, which lacks proper facilities for medicine storage.
Details on exactly what kinds of products were moved to Kallo or whether they are part of the original stockpile remain unclear. NPR reached out to the State Department for further information but did not receive a response by publication time.
Marcel van Valen, head of supply chain at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), told NPR via email that they believe these 20 truckloads represent “additional products at risk of incineration” on top of the $9.7 million worth of contraceptives in Geel.
### Aid Groups Press for Distribution Before It’s Too Late
While the contraceptives stored in Kallo cannot be used as intended due to improper storage, Brouns emphasized that the medical devices contained within those shipments remain usable. His administration is working closely with Belgium’s minister of foreign affairs and engaging in diplomatic discussions aimed at salvaging and redistributing these critical resources.
According to Reuters, talks between the U.S. and Belgium were paused during the recent government shutdown, causing further delays.
Humanitarian organizations are urging the Trump administration to release these products either to nongovernmental organizations or foreign governments.
Chiara Cosentino, coordinator for Countdown 2030 Europe—a coalition of European reproductive rights organizations—condemned the administration’s handling of the supplies.
She said, “The [administration’s] apparent strategy is to let these life-saving supplies expire rather than share them with those who need and want them. It is unacceptable that the Trump Administration is holding hostage more than $9.7 million worth of U.S.-funded contraceptives along with the health and well-being of 1.4 million women and girls in the Global South.”
### Sub-Saharan Africa Facing Worsening Contraceptive Shortages
The countries awaiting these supplies, many already grappling with humanitarian crises, are experiencing worsening contraceptive shortages as a direct result of U.S. foreign aid reductions.
Dr. Bakari Omary, project coordinator of IPPF’s member association in Tanzania, explained the impact:
“Since the discontinuation of USAID support, it has become much more difficult to continue our services. Previously, anyone who wanted to avoid pregnancy could come to us and choose the contraceptive that suited them. Now women have to switch to whatever is available, or we cannot help them.”
—
The situation underscores the urgent need for diplomatic resolution and humanitarian action to ensure these essential reproductive health supplies reach those who desperately need them.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/11/15/g-s1-97843/birth-control-contraceptives-usaid-belgium-unusable-storage
