Global Aid Cuts Leave One Million Women Without Lifesaving Support

A new report from the United Nations Women’s Program, which surveyed over 800 organizations across 52 countries, reveals that 90% of aid groups are currently unable to meet basic needs. Following the administration's decision to slash humanitarian aid from $14.1 billion in 2024 to $3.4 billion in 2025, grassroots organizations—described by UN humanitarian chief Sofia Calltorp as the "lifeblood" of the response—are collapsing. The administration’s redirection of resources, orchestrated under the Department of Government Efficiency, specifically targeted women’s services, canceling 88% of maternal health funding and 94% of reproductive health support.

The human cost of these policy shifts is playing out in real-time. Organizations report a surge in forced marriages, school dropouts, and poverty. In one harrowing instance cited in the report, a 17-year-old survivor of sexual violence in Sudan died by suicide after being denied treatment for four days due to funding shortages. With G7 nations projected to follow the US lead with a collective 28% reduction in aid by 2026, many frontline workers are now operating without pay, attempting to fill a widening void that threatens to leave millions more without a safety net.