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One million women and girls lose access to support amid aid cuts: UN
🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

One million women and girls lose access to support amid aid cuts: UN

From CNA · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • At least one million women and girls have lost access to vital support services due to significant cuts in foreign aid spending since January 2025.
  • UN Women reported a collapse of women's organizations at a time when needs are increasing due to global conflicts.
  • Aid cuts, particularly from the US, have reduced funding for organizations working on the frontlines of crises, impacting survivors of violence, displaced mothers, and girls' education.

The United Nations issued a stark warning Friday that at least one million women and girls have lost access to critical support services due to dramatic cuts in foreign aid spending since January 2025. UN Women decried a significant collapse of women's organizations precisely when the needs they address are soaring amid escalating global conflicts.

at least one million women and girls affected by conflict and crisis have lost access to critical services and support

— Sofia CalltorpUN Women's head of humanitarian action, describing the impact of aid cuts.

These cuts, influenced by reduced spending from key donor countries like the United States, have severely impacted organizations operating on the frontlines of complex and dangerous crises. Sofia Calltorp, UN Women's head of humanitarian action, stated that the loss of services affects survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls denied education, and communities struggling for basic survival. She emphasized that the reported number is likely just the "tip of the iceberg."

We know that this number ... is just the tip of the iceberg

— Sofia CalltorpUN Women's head of humanitarian action, emphasizing the scale of the problem.

The UN Women report, based on data from 855 women-led organizations across 52 crisis-affected countries, reveals that 84 percent have seen demand for their services increase. Nearly nine in ten organizations report they can no longer meet current needs, with two in five expecting to shut down within the next year. To sustain operations, staff are increasingly working without pay, and burnout is rising.

work on the frontlines of the world's most complex and dangerous crises

— Sofia CalltorpDescribing the critical role of women's organizations in crisis zones.

Calltorp highlighted a disturbing trend: cases of conflict-related sexual violence doubled in 2025, coinciding with the dismantling of protection systems. Eighty-six percent of surveyed organizations reported an increase in gender-based violence in their communities. The UN agency stressed that these impacts are occurring amidst a global backlash against women's and girls' rights, further jeopardizing access to essential services like shelter and healthcare.

Every dollar withdrawn from women's organisations is a dollar withdrawn from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls forced from school, and communities struggling to survive

— Sofia CalltorpIllustrating the direct consequences of reduced funding.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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