Health. Washington's Destruction of Contraceptives: Environmentalists Call on Macron

The Greens sent an open letter to Emmanuel Macron this Saturday, asking him to intervene urgently to prevent the planned destruction by the United States of female contraceptives , stored in Belgium and which could be incinerated in France.

These contraceptive methods (implants, IUDs), worth $9.7 million according to press reports, are intended for "low- and middle-income countries as part of the programs of the United States Agency for International Development" (USAID), dismantled by the Trump administration, they write in this letter, signed by the head of the Greens, Marine Tondelier, and several female parliamentarians.

This American decision is "an affront to the fundamental principles of solidarity, public health and sexual and reproductive rights that France is committed to defending," they add, urging Emmanuel Macron "not to be complicit, even indirectly, in retrograde policies."

Destruction that will “cost lives”

"Cutting aid for contraception is a disgrace, destroying products that have already been manufactured and funded is even more mind-boggling," Marine Tondelier protested. The Greens are calling on the head of state, "as part of a joint initiative with the European Commission," to request a suspension of this destruction. They also want him to "explicitly" support the humanitarian organizations that have said they are "ready to redistribute these contraceptives."

The leader of the La France Insoumise (LFI) deputies, Mathilde Panot, also urged Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister François Bayrou to "act to prevent this destruction, which will cost lives," in a message published on X. "These resources are vital, particularly for the 218 million women who do not have access to contraceptive care," she wrote.

A drastic drop in international aid from the USA

The story was revealed by The Guardian and, according to press reports, these contraceptives are stored in Belgium and are to be incinerated in France.

The Trump administration recently admitted to destroying tons of food intended for malnourished children because it had expired. These incidents come as the United States is drastically reducing its foreign aid, with Congress cutting some $9 billion in aid on July 18, primarily for overseas destinations.

The Trump administration also shut down USAID, which was folded into the State Department, laying off thousands of employees, and eliminated a series of programs promoting family planning and abortion.