UN Women report 1 million women lose aid due to cuts

At least one million women and girls have lost access to lifesaving humanitarian support over the past 18 months due to sweeping reductions in international aid funding, according to a new report from the United Nations agency UN Women published on July 10, 2026. The report warns that women-led organizations on the front lines of the world's most severe crises are scaling back services or closing entirely as funding evaporates.

The funding crisis has been driven by significant cuts from major donor nations. The United States, previously the world's largest aid donor, slashed billions of dollars in foreign assistance beginning in January 2025. Other major donors, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, have also reduced contributions, citing domestic fiscal constraints and increased defense spending. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, development assistance fell by nearly a quarter in 2025, marking the largest yearly contraction on record.

UN Women's findings are based on a survey of 855 women-led and women's rights organizations across 52 crisis-affected countries, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and...