US Contraception Stuck in Belgium, Sensoa Demands EU Action

Tons of American contraception supplies remain stranded in storage facilities in Kallo and Geel, Belgium, more than a year after the Trump administration dismantled USAID. Health organization Sensoa is urgently calling for their release, demanding that European institutions turn their words into action to prevent a humanitarian crisis affecting an estimated 1.4 million women in Africa.

Background: The USAID Collapse

In early 2025, President Donald Trump effectively dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), closing its Washington D.C. headquarters and laying off tens of thousands of employees worldwide. With a budget of billions of dollars, USAID was the world’s largest humanitarian aid organization and the primary purchaser and distributor of contraceptive supplies in developing countries, as VRT NWS reported.

Prior to its dismantling, USAID had purchased and stored large quantities of contraceptive supplies in Belgium for distribution to developing nations, primarily in Africa. The main warehouse in Geel (Antwerp province), operated by logistics company Kuehne+Nagel, held 24 containers of supplies. A second, larger stock was later discovered in Kallo (East Flanders).

The Growing Loss

The situation has deteriorated significantly over the past year. In November 2025, it was revealed that approximately 20 truckloads of contraception stored in Kallo had become unusable. The Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG) declared the medicines no longer fit for use because the storage facility was not equipped for pharmaceutical storage, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.

Today, only four remaining truckloads in Geel still contain usable contraception. The supplies include IUDs, contraceptive implants, injectable contraceptives, and tablets containing levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has stated that expiration dates range from April 2028 to September 2031, but strict import regulations in destination countries such as Tanzania block the acceptance of medications with limited shelf life.

Destined for Africa

According to Sensoa, 77 percent of the supplies were destined for five African countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mali — many already facing severe humanitarian crises. An estimated 1.4 million women in Africa will be unable to access contraception they desire as a result of the blockage.

Earlier reporting valued the Geel stock alone at €8.4 million, including 26 million condoms, contraceptive pills, and HIV medication.

Sensoa’s Urgent Call

Sensoa, the Flemish expertise center for sexual health, issued a stark warning on July 1, 2026, calling for immediate action. “It is time that not only Belgium, but also the EU takes on a stronger role,” Sensoa stated. “The European institutions remain deafeningly silent on this dossier. This is the moment for Europe to turn its words into action.”

The organization previously described the situation as evidence of “Trump’s war on women,” noting that the policy is not only “deliberately cruel and morally reprehensible” but also a waste of millions of dollars worth of usable supplies.

U.S. Refusal and European Silence

The White House has refused to release the supplies, reportedly considering some contraceptives as abortion aids. Belgian diplomatic efforts to secure their release failed in September 2025. Sensoa criticizes the European Union for remaining “deafeningly silent” on the issue, despite the supplies being stored on European soil.

Belgian Context and Concerns

Belgium has historically been ranked as a top country for access to contraception. However, Sensoa warns that the Belgian government plans to cut 25 percent from development cooperation, with rumors that cuts could go even further. “With that, Belgium deepens the hole that has already been struck by Trump,” Sensoa said.

What’s Next

The clock is ticking for the remaining four truckloads in Geel. With each passing day, the window for distribution narrows. The question remains whether the European Union will respond to Sensoa’s call and take concrete action to secure the release of these essential reproductive health supplies, or whether the remaining stock will suffer the same fate as the Kallo supplies — lost to inaction and bureaucratic paralysis.

For the 1.4 million women in Africa awaiting these supplies, the stakes could not be higher.