Nearly half of women-led organisations working on the frontlines of humanitarian crises face the prospect of shutting down within six months due to drastic cuts in global aid, a new UN Women report revealed.
The report, At a Breaking Point: The Impact of Foreign Aid Cuts on Women's Organizations in Humanitarian Crises Worldwide, found that 90 per cent of 411 women-led and women’s rights organisations surveyed across 44 crisis zones had already been affected by shrinking donor support. These organisations played a critical role in supporting women and girls grappling with displacement, gender-based violence, food insecurity and health crises — yet they remained woefully underfunded.
The situation is critical. Women and girls simply cannot afford to lose the lifelines that women’s organisations are providing. Despite their roles as essential providers, advocates, and watchdogs, women’s organisations have been severely underfunded even before the recent wave of reductionsSofia Calltorp, chief of UN Women Humanitarian Action
In March 2025, Tom Fletcher, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated that the current crisis represented the most serious challenge to international humanitarian efforts since World War II.
The humanitarian landscape has continued to worsen, with 308 million people in need of assistance across 73 countries. Conflicts, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and rising hunger disproportionately affected women and girls, often compounding the risks they faced, from maternal mortality to sexual violence.
Despite their proven impact, many women’s organisations are being pushed to the brink. Nearly half or 47 per cent are expected to shut down in the next six months if funding did not improve. Already, 51 per cent had suspended essential services, including programmes for survivors of gender-based violence, livelihood support, and access to healthcare. Over 70 per cent had laid off staff, some at substantial levels.
Supporting and resourcing these organisations is not only a matter of equality and rights, but it is also a strategic imperative, Calltorp said. “These organisations are cornerstones of our collective humanitarian response — driving change, offering hope and delivering critical support to women, girls and their communities in the world’s toughest crises,” UN Women stated.
Despite the growing challenges, many women’s groups remained committed to their work, showing remarkable resilience and leadership. UN Women urged the international community to act swiftly and decisively to reverse the funding cuts and protect the vital work of grassroots women’s organisations. It also urged centring women-led organisations in humanitarian response.