UN Women Warns 1 Million Women Lost Critical Aid

UN Women released a report on July 10, 2026, titled 'Beyond the Breaking Point,' stating that at least 1 million women and girls have lost access to critical humanitarian support since January 2025. The agency reports that nearly 90% of women-led organizations cannot meet current demand, with up to 40% facing potential closure within a year. In some cases, 65% of staff are working without pay to maintain essential services.

UN Women attributes the crisis to the steepest annual drop in global development assistance on record, which fell to $174 billion. The contraction was driven by a more than 50% drop in U.S. foreign aid after Donald Trump dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) upon taking office. Other major donors, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, also reduced contributions to prioritize defense spending and domestic burdens.

These funding shortages have disrupted services in crisis zones including Afghanistan, Gaza, Haiti, Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The funding gap coincides with a doubling of conflict-related sexual violence over the past year. Due to these pressures, the United Nations is considering merging UN Women with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as part of its UN80 reform process.