Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
According to a 2026 report by UN Women, over one million women and girls have lost access to critical humanitarian support since January 2025 due to unprecedented aid cuts that have left women's organizations in crisis zones near collapse. This comes as global humanitarian needs reach historic highs, with approximately 120 million women and girls needing assistance and protection worldwide. Women-led local organizations, often operating where international agencies cannot, face severe funding shortages despite increased demand for their services.
The report, titled Beyond the Breaking Point, is based on feedback from 855 women-led organizations across 52 crisis- and conflict-affected countries. Nearly nine in ten organizations can no longer meet current needs, with 84 percent reporting rising demand. Services have been significantly reduced in remote and hard-to-reach communities, affecting 63 percent of organizations. Meanwhile, 86 percent report increased levels of gender-based violence, and 62 percent say safe spaces have been closed or significantly reduced. Additionally, one in five organizations has suspended work on women's leadership and gender equality initiatives due to funding cuts and a global backlash against women's rights.
UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp emphasized that every dollar withdrawn from women's organizations is a dollar taken away from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls denied education, and vulnerable communities. Despite these challenges, many women leading humanitarian work continue their efforts, often while living through conflict or displacement themselves, with nearly two-thirds reporting working without pay.