The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has lamented that at least one million women and girls have lost access to life-saving support since January 2025 as funding cuts continue to cripple women-led organisations operating in humanitarian and conflict settings.

The lamentation is contained in a new report, “Beyond the Breaking Point,” which surveyed 855 women-led and women’s rights organisations across 52 conflict- and crisis-affected countries. The report revealed that shrinking international aid is threatening the survival of organisations providing essential services to women and girls amid rising humanitarian needs.

According to the report, 84 per cent of the organisations surveyed said demand for their services had increased since January 2025, while nearly nine in 10 reported they could no longer meet existing needs because of declining financial support.

UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action, Sofia Calltorp, said the organisations facing closure remain at the forefront of humanitarian response in some of the world’s most volatile regions.

“The women’s organisations at risk of being shut down are on the frontlines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. In countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti, they operate where international actors cannot and stay long after global attention has moved on.

“Every dollar withdrawn from women’s organizations is a dollar withdrawn from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls forced from school, and communities struggling to survive,” she said.

The report noted that approximately 120 million women and girls currently require humanitarian assistance and protection globally, warning that nearly two in every five women-led organisations expect to shut down either temporarily or permanently within the next year if funding gaps persist.

It added that 65 per cent of the organisations have staff working without pay to sustain operations, while 48 per cent reported growing burnout among employees. About 88 per cent also observed worsening mental health conditions among the women and girls they support.

UN Women further disclosed that half of the organisations have introduced waiting lists or are turning away women and girls seeking assistance due to limited resources. It added that 92 per cent reported increasing poverty among beneficiaries, while 82 per cent observed rising school dropout rates among girls.

The report also highlighted growing protection concerns, noting that conflict-related sexual violence has doubled in 2025 even as support systems continue to weaken. It stated that 86 per cent of organisations recorded increases in gender-based violence within the communities they serve, while 62 per cent said safe spaces for survivors had either been shut down or significantly reduced.

According to the report, women and girls in remote and conflict-affected communities are bearing the brunt of the crisis, with 63 per cent of organisations already reducing services in hard-to-reach areas.

It warned that the funding crisis extends beyond humanitarian assistance, with one in five organisations already suspending programmes promoting women’s leadership and gender equality. More than half also reported declining participation of women in community leadership and local decision-making.

UN Women called on governments, donors and development partners to sustain investments in women-led organisations, describing them as indispensable first responders and critical defenders of women’s rights during conflicts and humanitarian emergencies.

“Without immediate action, the organisations that have kept women and girls alive through the world’s worst crises risk becoming another casualty of war,” the body said.