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UN Women Says One Million Women Lost Access to Aid After Donor Cuts

Donor retrenchment, led in part by large U.S. aid reductions, has left women-led groups unable to deliver protection services.

Overview

  • The UN Women report published on July 10, 2026 found that at least one million women and girls lost access to life‑saving support over the past year.
  • The findings are based on a survey of 855 women-led and women's rights organisations in 52 crisis-affected countries that reported 84% saw demand rise since January 2025 and nearly nine in ten can no longer meet current needs.
  • Forty percent of surveyed organisations face possible temporary or permanent closure within a year, and 65% say staff are working without pay while many programs have cut roles or introduced waiting lists.
  • UN Women links the service collapse to sharp reductions in foreign aid, including billions cut by the U.S. government, at the same time that conflict-related sexual violence doubled in 2025 and safe spaces and GBV case management have been reduced.
  • The loss of services is already leaving survivors without shelters, health care or legal help and is forcing groups to suspend work on women's leadership and rights, a trend that could widen protection gaps and weaken local community response.