Millions of unused USAID condoms are sitting in a warehouse in Belgium
According to a recent investigation by The Washington Post, millions of condoms and other contraceptives belonging to the US development agency USAID are currently sitting unused in a warehouse in Geel, Belgium.
Approximately $12 million (€10.36 million) worth of reproductive health supplies remain in storage due to the U.S. government’s decision to dismantle USAID. This includes 26 million condoms, millions of packs of oral contraceptives, hundreds of thousands of contraceptive implants, almost two million doses of injectable contraceptives and 50,000 bottles of HIV prevention medication. Much of the stock is close to its expiry date.
Give us the money
The items are currently stored in warehouses in Geel and the United Arab Emirates. The Trump administration is reportedly planning to destroy the remaining stock. According to The Washington Post, several humanitarian organisations have tried to negotiate with US officials to distribute or purchase the supplies, but with little success. One source involved in the negotiations said: “The response from the USAID negotiator was, 'Give us the money.' If that doesn't work, it just becomes waste."
Destruction costs
The estimated cost of destroying the contraceptives stored in Geel, which are valued at $9.7 million (€8.4 million), is $167,000 (€144,000). The total value of goods in the Belgian warehouse is around $10 million (€8.6 million).
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was established by President John F. Kennedy via executive order in 1960, following the signing of the Foreign Assistance Act. In 2023, it accounted for $40 billion of the US federal budget (0.63% of the $6.13 trillion total).
In 2025, President Donald Trump granted Elon Musk the authority to dissolve or restructure the agency. On 3 February, Musk announced the closure of USAID via his X platform, with plans to integrate its functions into the U.S. State Department. Analysts have linked this decision to a broader shift in American foreign policy priorities.
© AFP
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