"In July, multiple outlets reported that, as part of Trump's plan to end foreign aid, they were going to destroy nearly $10 million worth of IUDs and birth control implants if they couldn't find a buyer. The move, which was a part of DOGE's gutting of the Agency for International Development, or USAID, would have cost taxpayers $167,000. If any of this sounds familiar, it's because the U.S. also burned 500 tons of food aid -also meant to be distributed by USAID-in July, which cost taxpayers $130,000."
"In September, the administration told the New York Times that they had incinerated the birth control methods-then, the next day, the paper reported that the administration had lied and that Belgian authorities confirmed the stockpile was still in their warehouse. Recent reporting from CNN suggests the administration may be intentionally ignoring the matter, since most of the more than five million items are set to expire in 2028 or 2029, with some as early as 2027."
""This is further proof of the Trump administration's disdain for women in the U.S. and around the world," Rachana Desai Martin, CFRR's Chief U.S. Program Officer, told Jezebel in a statement. "Intentionally withholding contraception from people in need is not only the epitome of government waste, but also needlessly cruel.""
At least $10 million worth of IUDs and contraceptive implants remain stored in a Flanders, Belgium warehouse after U.S. officials considered destroying them amid foreign aid cuts. The Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit alleging abandonment of the stockpile and withholding of records and requested clarification via FOIA. Initial reports said the administration planned incineration if no buyer emerged; officials later claimed destruction while Belgian authorities confirmed the supplies remained. Most of the more than five million items carry expiration dates from 2027 to 2029. A separate July incineration destroyed 500 tons of food aid.
Read at Jezebel
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