Fall in funding cuts aid to 1 million women: UN
A UN report found that at least one million women and girls have been cut off from life-saving support due to global aid cuts. The report surveyed 855 women's organisations across 52 vulnerable countries and found that 40 percent face temporary or permanent shutdowns with…
Intelligence analysis by Llama
A UN report has found that global aid cuts have left at least one million women and girls without life-saving support. The report surveyed 855 women's organisations across 52 vulnerable countries and found that 40 percent are at risk of being shut down due to low funding.
Imagine you're a mom living in a war zone. You need food, shelter, and safety for your family. But because of a big cut in aid, the organizations that help you can't afford to keep going. This means you and your family are left without the support you need to survive. It's a really tough situation, and it's happening to over a million women and girls around the world.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
The United States was previously the largest aid donor in the world, but President Donald Trump's administration slashed billions in foreign aid upon resuming office in January 2025. As the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled, Washington's foreign aid dropped by more than 50 percent, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Other major donors to global support, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, have cut donations as well, largely due to domestic burdens, as well as pressure to increase defence spending.
Why Cursor?
The UN report surveyed 855 women's organisations across 52 vulnerable countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, and Afghanistan, and found that 40 percent face temporary or permanent shutdowns within the next year due to low funding. Sixty percent said they were reaching fewer women and girls since last January despite increased needs. Half of the organisations surveyed said they have had to put people on waiting lists or turned women and girls away. Nearly all said women they served were getting poorer and girls were dropping out of school. Even as conflict-related sexual violence doubled in the past year, 62 percent of organisations report no longer having safe spaces and reducing gender-based violence services.
The Road Ahead
The UN report highlights the urgent need for increased funding to support women's organisations on the frontlines of humanitarian crises. The report's findings underscore the devastating impact of global aid cuts on women and girls, who are already vulnerable to conflict-related sexual violence, displacement, and poverty. As the international community grapples with the consequences of these cuts, it is essential to prioritise the needs of women and girls and provide them with the support they need to survive and thrive.
Key points
- At least one million women and girls have been cut off from life-saving support due to global aid cuts.
- 40 percent of women's organisations surveyed face temporary or permanent shutdowns within the next year due to low funding.
- 60 percent of organisations said they were reaching fewer women and girls since last January despite increased needs.
- Half of the organisations surveyed said they have had to put people on waiting lists or turned women and girls away.
If the international community comes together to increase funding for women's organisations, it could lead to a significant reduction in the number of women and girls affected by humanitarian crises. This could also lead to an increase in the number of women and girls who are able to access life-saving support and services.
If the current trend of aid cuts continues, it could lead to a significant increase in the number of women and girls who are left without access to life-saving support and services. This could also lead to a rise in conflict-related sexual violence, displacement, and poverty among women and girls.
