The agency surveyed 855 women-led organizations across 52 conflict-affected countries.

A comprehensive new report titled Beyond the Breaking Point, released by UN Women, highlights a severe humanitarian crisis. Since January 2025, at least one million women and girls have lost access to critical life-saving support. This decline is directly linked to the largest annual reduction in official development assistance ever recorded, leaving local service providers struggling to function.

The agency surveyed 855 women-led organizations across 52 conflict-affected countries. The findings are stark: 84 percent of these groups report a surge in demand, yet nearly nine in ten can no longer meet the basic needs of their communities. Many organizations are now reaching fewer people than they did last year, creating significant gaps in essential healthcare, safety, and food distribution.

Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action, emphasized the human cost of these financial shortfalls. She stated that every dollar withdrawn from these organizations is effectively taken from displaced mothers, survivors of violence, and girls forced to abandon their education. The agency warns that this one million figure is likely only the beginning of a much larger and more systemic collapse.

Financial pressure is forcing extreme measures. Nearly two-thirds of surveyed organizations report that staff are working without pay to maintain operations, while many others are contemplating permanent closure. The report cautions that without immediate, sustained investment, the essential local infrastructure currently protecting millions will vanish entirely.