At least 1 million women have lost access to humanitarian aid and other critical support due to budget cuts over the last 18 months, according to the UN agency focused on women. UN Women stated that 84% of women's organizations surveyed reported increased needs since January 2025, coinciding with cutbacks in U.S. foreign aid following the Trump administration's assumption of office.
Sofia Calltorp, UN Women’s chief of humanitarian action, noted that "every dollar withdrawn from women’s organizations is a dollar withdrawn from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls forced from school and communities struggling to survive.” Nearly 90% of the surveyed women's groups indicated they can no longer meet current demand, with one in five anticipating temporary or permanent closure within the next year.
UN Women's assessment is based on feedback from 855 women's organizations operating in 52 countries. Calltorp described the figure of at least 1 million women and girls affected as "just the tip of the iceberg."
The agency also highlighted a significant increase in conflict-related sexual violence, which reportedly doubled last year. A recent report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development indicated a nearly quarter decline in development assistance, reaching $174 billion, marking the largest yearly contraction on record.
Many United Nations organizations have reduced operations and cut thousands of jobs worldwide in response to funding reductions from the U.S. and other major donors. Calltorp warned that "without immediate action, the organizations that have kept women and girls alive through the world’s worst crises risk becoming another casualty of war."