Half of women’s crisis response groups risk closure within 6 months amid global aid cuts, UN Women warns

Nearly half of all women-led organizations providing critical support in humanitarian crises face the risk of closure within six months due to steep cuts in international funding, Anadolu Agency reported citing UN Women.

This warning comes from a new report based on a global survey of 411 women-led and women’s rights groups across 44 crisis-affected areas. The findings reveal a dire situation: 90% of these organizations have experienced funding reductions, and 47% may be forced to shut down by late 2025 if the trend continues.

Sofia Calltorp, head of UN Women’s humanitarian action, emphasized the urgency: “Women and girls cannot afford to lose the vital services these organizations provide. Despite their crucial roles as service providers, advocates, and watchdogs, women’s organizations have long been underfunded, and recent cuts have made this worse.”

As global humanitarian needs grow due to conflict, climate change, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks, funding shortages are weakening the entire humanitarian system.

The report highlights that more than half (51%) of women’s groups have already halted key services such as programs addressing gender-based violence, livelihoods, healthcare, and cash assistance. Nearly 72% have had to reduce staff, with some facing significant layoffs.

Women and girls in crisis settings face heightened risks including malnutrition, preventable maternal deaths, and sexual violence. Yet, the organizations best equipped to address these challenges are increasingly marginalized due to shrinking resources.

UN Women called for immediate action to reverse this trend, stressing that women’s organizations remain essential pillars of humanitarian response.