UN Women Warns Humanitarian Aid Cuts Have Deprived One Million Women of Vital Services
UN Women has warned that since January 2025, at least one million women and girls have lost access to essential support due to unprecedented cuts in humanitarian aid. This situation has brought local women’s organizations in crisis-affected areas to the brink of collapse.
The warning comes in a new report titled “Beyond the Breaking Point,” which reveals that providers of essential services for women and girls have been forced to reduce or suspend programs amid soaring global humanitarian needs.
According to the latest statistics, approximately 120 million women and girls worldwide require humanitarian assistance and protective support. However, local women’s organizations, which have the greatest access to these groups, are facing severe budget shortfalls.
The report is based on responses from 855 women-led organizations across 52 crisis- and conflict-affected countries. Findings show that nearly 90 percent of these organizations can no longer meet current levels of demand, while 84 percent have reported rising demand for their services.
Additionally, 63 percent of organizations have reduced services in remote and hard-to-reach areas, where women and girls have fewer alternatives. Alongside this, 86 percent of these entities reported increases in gender-based violence, and 62 percent stated that safe spaces for women have either closed or been significantly limited.
The report further notes that one in five organizations have suspended activities related to women’s leadership and gender equality due to funding cuts — a trend that could further undermine global efforts to secure women’s rights.
