US confirms it will destroy contraceptives previously designated as aid

International reproductive rights groups slam the Trump administration’s determination arsenic ‘cruel and ideologically driven’.

Washington, DC – The United States has confirmed reports that it volition destruct reproductive wellness supplies antecedently designated arsenic assistance, sparking fury from advocates and assistance groups.

The US Department of State said connected Friday that the determination stems from US regulations that restrict assistance to groups that execute oregon beforehand abortions.

“Only a constricted fig of commodities person been approved for disposal. No HIV medications oregon condoms are being destroyed,” a State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera successful a statement.

Reproductive wellness advocates decried the US determination connected Friday, saying that Washington is incinerating “life-saving contraceptives” alternatively than handing them to assistance groups to administer them successful poorer countries.

Several advocacy groups – including International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Sensoa and Countdown 2030 Europe – released a connection calling the US determination a “cruel and ideologically driven”.

“Despite aggregate offers from planetary humanitarian organisations, governments and planetary wellness actors to acquisition oregon redistribute these supplies, the US authorities has refused each alternatives,” the connection said.

“Instead, they are choosing discarded and extremist ideology implicit care, human rights, information and health.”

The groups said they offered to transport, repack, store and administer the supplies astatine “no outgo to the US government”, but their connection was turned down.

The Reuters quality bureau had reported that the supplies, acceptable to beryllium destroyed successful France, are worthy $10m.

The State Department spokesperson said the demolition of the commodities, purchased nether the medication of erstwhile President Joe Biden, volition outgo $167,000.

The US connection added that the medication of President Donald Trump managed to cancel antecedently placed orders worthy $34.1m.

Trump has upended US humanitarian assistance programmes, each but dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and cutting assistance to countries and groups crossed the world.

Since moving for bureau the archetypal clip successful 2015, Trump has presented himself arsenic a staunch hostile of abortion. During his archetypal term, the Republican president appointed 3 blimpish justices to the US Supreme Court, who helped overturn the law close to termination successful 2022.

The determination to destruct reproductive wellness supplies, alternatively of donating oregon adjacent selling them, has drawn the ire of critics crossed the world.

Micah Grzywnowicz, determination manager of IPPF European Network, said the determination shows “complete deficiency of basal empathy”.

“It’s the tallness of hypocrisy for a authorities to preach ratio and cutting waste, lone to crook astir and recklessly destruct life-saving supplies erstwhile the request has ne'er been greater. This isn’t conscionable inefficient — it’s unconscionable,” Grzywnowicz said successful a statement..

“This enactment earnestly undermines planetary nationalist wellness efforts and limits entree to indispensable care, peculiarly for communities already facing important barriers.”

Earlier this week, Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu said she was “horrified” by the Trump administration’s move.

“The Trump admin is burning $10M successful taxpayer-funded commencement power contempt years near earlier expiration & the UN acceptable to present it to women successful need,” Chu said successful a societal media post.

“This is cruel, disgraceful, and a needless discarded of your payer dollars.”