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Trump madness: orders destruction of millions of contraceptives USAID, ‘Anti-abortion rules violated’

A batch worth almost $10 million stored in Belgium has been discarded. Bipartisan senators and NGOs on the attack: ‘An avoidable humanitarian disaster’

The Trump administration has decided to destroy a large stock of US-funded contraceptives currently stored in a warehouse in Belgium, with an estimated value of $9.7 million (€8.25 million). This was reported by the Washington Post, according to which the material — purchased during the Biden presidency with USAID funds — includes over 50,000 intrauterine devices, nearly 2 million doses of injectable contraceptives, 900,000 implants and more than 2 million packs of pills.

The decision was justified by the State Department with the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits the use of federal funds for organisations that provide, promote or inform about abortion-related services — even though the contraceptives in question have no abortive effects.

Senators Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, New Hampshire) and Lisa Murkowski (Republican, Alaska) spoke out against the measure, sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for its immediate revocation. ‘These devices are part of life-saving humanitarian assistance: they prevent unwanted pregnancies, reduce unsafe abortions and improve maternal and child health,’ the senators wrote.

Several international organisations, such as UNFPA, IPPF and MSI Reproductive Choices, also offered to take over or redistribute the supplies, but received no response. For Micah Grzywnowicz, regional director of IPPF, ‘it is a cynical, empathy-free decision at a time when there is maximum global demand for contraception.’ Sarah Shaw, of MSI, spoke of a ‘catastrophe for the global supply chain.’

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the contraceptives set aside could have provided one year of protection for 650,000 women, or up to ten years for 950,000 women. The destruction of the material will cost $167,000, but the Trump administration expects to save approximately $34.1 million by cancelling future orders.

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