As armed conflicts reach their highest levels in 80 years, organizations providing life-saving services to women and girls are facing an existential financial crisis. According to a new UN Women report, Beyond the Breaking Point, the impact of global aid reductions has been profound: at least one million women and girls have lost access to critical support since January 2025.
The report, based on insights from 855 women-led and women’s rights organizations across 52 conflict-affected countries, paints a grim picture of the current landscape.
Frontline Defenders at Risk “The women’s organizations at risk of being shut down are on the frontlines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises,” said Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action. “In countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti, they operate where international actors cannot and stay long after global attention has moved on. Every dollar withdrawn from these organizations is a dollar withdrawn from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls forced from school, and communities struggling to survive.”
Rising Needs Amidst Collapse The collapse of these organizations coincides with historic levels of need. Approximately 120 million women and girls worldwide currently require humanitarian assistance. Despite this, 84 percent of surveyed organizations report that demand for their services has increased since early 2025, yet nearly nine in ten indicate they can no longer meet these requirements. Alarmingly, two in five organizations expect to shut down, either temporarily or permanently, within the next year.
Humanitarian Consequences The consequences of these funding gaps are immediate and severe. Half of the surveyed organizations have been forced to implement waiting lists or turn away those in need. Furthermore:
- Poverty and Education: 92 percent of organizations report rising poverty among their beneficiaries, and 82 percent report an increase in girls dropping out of school.
- Violence and Safety: Conflict-related sexual violence doubled in 2025, precisely as the support systems meant to protect survivors are failing. 86 percent of organizations report an increase in gender-based violence, while 62 percent note that safe spaces have either disappeared or been significantly reduced.
- Staff Strain: To maintain essential services, staff are often working without pay, leading to widespread burnout.
A Broader Backlash The decline is not occurring in isolation but against a global backlash against the rights of women and girls. One in five organizations has suspended initiatives focused on women’s leadership and gender equality, and more than half report a decline in women’s participation in local decision-making and community leadership.
UN Women is calling for immediate, sustained investment in these organizations, recognizing them as essential first responders and the bedrock of peace and recovery. As Calltorp concludes, “Without immediate action, the organizations that have kept women and girls alive through the world’s worst crises risk becoming another casualty of war.”
