At a breaking point: The impact of foreign aid cuts on women’s organizations in humanitarian crises worldwide

Women-led and women’s rights organizations are on the frontlines of today’s humanitarian crises—but many are at risk of disappearing. As global needs rise due to conflict, climate change, and displacement, deep cuts to foreign aid are threatening organizations that provide life-saving services for women and girls.

In March 2025, UN Women conducted a rapid global survey to understand how these funding reductions are affecting local women-led groups in crisis settings. The survey reached 411 organizations across 44 countries. The results are alarming: 90 per cent of respondents said their operations were financially impacted, nearly half expect to shut down within six months, and most have already reduced staff or suspended key services.

The report highlights the steep consequences of shrinking humanitarian support. Programmes that protect women and girls are being cut back just as needs intensify. Women’s organizations serving refugees, LGBTIQ+ people, women with disabilities, and Indigenous communities report rising violence and harmful coping strategies like child marriage and survival sex.

But the report also shows resilience. Many women’s organizations are adjusting their strategies and calling on the international community to act.

This publication shares data, stories, and concrete recommendations for donors, humanitarian actors, and the UN system to protect and sustain women's leadership in humanitarian responses. It is not only a funding crisis—it is a crisis of rights and accountability. The report calls for urgent action to ensure that women-led organizations are not sidelined but centred in the humanitarian response.