Fall in funding cuts aid to 1 million women: UN

A comprehensive assessment by UN Women released Friday reveals the severe humanitarian consequences of declining international aid commitments. The organization surveyed 855 women's groups across 52 vulnerable countries and found widespread service disruptions despite rising demand for assistance.

The funding crisis intensified when the United States administration dismantled USAID and slashed bilateral aid by more than half upon taking office in January 2025. This shift prompted other significant donors—Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—to reduce their contributions as well, citing domestic fiscal pressures and increased defence spending requirements.

The impact on vulnerable populations is stark. Forty percent of surveyed organizations face temporary or permanent closure within the next year. Sixty percent report serving fewer beneficiaries since January despite greater need, while half have implemented waiting lists or turned away women and girls entirely. Organizations providing gender-based violence services have contracted sharply, with 62 percent reporting reduced capacity even as conflict-related sexual violence doubled annually.

According to Sofia Calltorp, UN Women's chief of humanitarian action, the consequences extend beyond statistics. Each funding reduction directly diminishes support for survivors of sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls removed from education, and communities in survival mode. The report underscores how aid reductions translate into concrete losses for the world's most vulnerable populations during periods of acute crisis.