At least one million women and girls have lost access to critical humanitarian support over the past 18 months as global foreign aid spending contracted sharply, UN Women warned on Thursday.
A survey of 855 women-led organisations across 52 crisis-affected countries — including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti and Afghanistan — found that 84% reported rising demand for services since January 2025. Yet nearly 90% said they can no longer meet current needs, and 62% reported closing safe spaces or reducing gender-based violence programmes. Two in five organisations expect to shut down temporarily or permanently within the next year.
The funding squeeze comes as conflict-related sexual violence doubled in 2025 and 86% of surveyed groups reported rising gender-based violence in their communities. Global development assistance fell nearly a quarter last year to $174 billion, the largest annual contraction on record, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.