Nearly 200 groups aiding women in crisis zones could close within months

What you probably already know: People living in crisis zones worldwide are experiencing unprecedented hardships, but international humanitarian support is shrinking at an alarming pace. Women and girls are among those hardest hit by ongoing conflict, climate change, and displacement, but local and national organizations that provide life-saving services for women and girls are on the brink of collapse as foreign aid dries up. In March, UN Women surveyed 411 women-led and women’s rights groups operating in crisis settings and found that most had already been forced to lay off staff or suspend key programs (such as gender-based violence prevention and health care services). Nearly half of the respondents expected to close within six months.

Why? Just 7% of the $44.79 billion needed to respond to escalating conflict and disasters has been met, according to the 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview. The countries that have historically been the largest donors of foreign assistance to humanitarian aid — the U.S. and Germany — have made dramatic funding cuts. This year, the total amount given by the top 17 donor countries is expected to fall $31 billion short of the previous year’s sum, primarily driven by the Trump administration’s gutting of USAID. Marginalized groups are historically underfunded and will likely bear the heaviest burden of funding cuts; for example, organizations led by and for women received less than 1% of humanitarian aid funding between 2021 and 2022.

What it means: As humanitarian resources dwindle, fewer women and girls will have access to life-saving services. A non-profit women’s organization in Ukraine that provides support for sex workers, violence survivors, and those living with HIV told UN Women it’s been forced to scale back its services to over-the-phone consultations. Another group in Nigeria reported an increase in gender-based physical abuse “because a lot of men lost their job and were laid off.” Loss of income, food, or safe spaces puts women and girls at greater risk of gender-based violence, exploitation, early marriage, and dangerous migration, experts say. Most organizations surveyed by UN Women fear that defunding economic empowerment programs for women will not only drive women deeper into poverty but also cause lasting damage to local economies.

What happens now? Organizations supporting women and girls are not sitting idly by. Instead, they’re figuring out new strategies to reduce their dependence on foreign aid and ensure long-term sustainability. Most of the surveyed groups said they’re approaching new donors; many are trying to stay afloat by selling their assets, freelancing, and lowering operational costs. UN Women is calling on the humanitarian community, policymakers, and donors to prioritize women’s representation and ensure that all available resources are utilized through better tracking and accountability of funding.