A huge stockpile of US-funded contraceptives stored in Belgium has mostly been lost due to improper storage conditions, according to Flemish Minister for the Environment Jo Brouns.
For months, $9.7 million worth of contraceptives (birth control pills, implants and injectables) meant for women in low-income countries has been gathering dust in a warehouse in Geel, Antwerp, allegedly destined for destruction, as a result of the US government's freeze on foreign aid.
In September, the White House told the New York Times that the stockpile had been destroyed by the American development aid agency USAID on the administration's orders. A day later, however, the Belgian authorities said that they had entered the warehouse and confirmed that the contraceptives were still there.
Today, it emerged that only four shipment now remain usable, after being properly stored in Geel. The other 20 were moved to an unidentified location in Kallo and are probably unusable due to substandard storage conditions, as confirmed by the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AFMPS).
'War against women'
In a joint statement released today, Sensoa, the Federation of Family Planning Centres (FLCPF), and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) said: “The damage caused by Trump’s war against women appears to be more significant than anticipated.”
The organisations urged the Belgian government to continue negotiations to save the remaining shipments, which are still safely housed in Geel.
The contraceptives were part of a USAID programme dismantled by the Trump administration and were intended to support women in Tanzania, many of whom already face severe humanitarian crises, the NGOs highlighted.
The groups also called for action to prevent further cuts to development cooperation funding, raising concerns over potential reductions of 25% to 50% in Belgium’s international aid budget. Such cuts, they warned, would deepen the global impact of Trump’s policies.
