Published on: 2026-07-10
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 10, 2026 Women
At least one million women and girls living in conflict zones and humanitarian crises have lost access to vital aid since the beginning of 2025 due to a sharp reduction in international funding. This is stated in a new report by the UN Women organization.
The study is based on a survey of 855 organizations led by women and women’s rights organizations from 52 countries affected by conflicts and crises. The authors of the report warn: a record reduction in external aid throughout the history of observations threatens the work of structures that often are the first to come to the aid of women and girls and continue working where other humanitarian agencies can no longer operate.
“Women’s organizations, which today face closure, are at the forefront of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. In Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, and other countries, they operate where international agencies often cannot reach, and they remain in place even when the world’s attention shifts to other crises,” emphasized Sofia Kalltorp, head of the humanitarian department of the UN Women structure.
According to her, every dollar that stops reaching these organizations means less support for survivors of sexual violence, mothers forced to flee their homes, girls deprived of the opportunity to study, and entire communities struggling to survive.
Needs are growing, resources are diminishing
Today, humanitarian aid and protection are needed by approximately 120 million women and girls worldwide. At the same time, 84 percent of those surveyed reported that since January 2025, the number of requests for assistance has increased.
However, nearly 90 percent of organizations are no longer able to meet the existing demand. Forty percent fear that within the next year they will be forced to completely or temporarily cease operations.
To maintain vital services, employees often continue working without pay. Nearly half of the respondents note an increase in emotional burnout, and 88 percent report a deterioration in the mental health of women and girls they assist.
Shelters are closing, violence is rising
The consequences of funding cuts are already becoming increasingly noticeable. Half of the organizations have been forced to implement waiting lists or even refuse assistance to those in need.
According to the report, 92 percent of organizations observe an increase in poverty among the women they work with, and 82 percent report a rise in the number of girls dropping out of school.
The situation with gender-based violence is particularly alarming. In 2025, the number of cases of sexual violence related to conflicts doubled, while support systems for survivors rapidly contracted. Eighty-six percent of organizations reported an increase in the scale of gender-based violence, and almost two-thirds stated that safe spaces for women have either closed or significantly decreased in number.
Behind the statistics are real human destinies, note the authors of the report. A woman trying to escape domestic violence may find that the shelter is already closed. Pregnant women have to walk many kilometers to the nearest medical facility. Mothers may be denied food for their children.
Primarily, the women and girls living in remote and hard-to-reach areas affected by conflicts remain without support. Nearly two-thirds of organizations have already been forced to reduce their work precisely in such places.
Women’s rights under threat
The authors of the report warn that the consequences go far beyond humanitarian aid. In many countries, pressure on the rights of women and girls is increasing.
Every fifth organization has already stopped projects on women’s leadership development and promoting gender equality, and more than half of the respondents note a decrease in women’s participation in local community life and decision-making processes.
Within the UN Women structure, international donors are urged to maintain funding for women’s organizations, calling them indispensable participants in humanitarian response, defenders of rights, and a crucial foundation for peacebuilding and sustainable development.
“If urgent measures are not taken, the organizations that helped women and girls survive the toughest crises may themselves become another victim of the war,” warned Sofia Kalltorp.
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