Haiti among countries hit as global aid sees decline

Haiti is among several crisis-hit countries where women and girls are losing access to vital support services as sweeping cuts to international aid force women’s organisations to scale back or shut down operations, according to a new report from UN Women.

The report found that at least one million women and girls worldwide have lost access to life-saving assistance since January 2025 as humanitarian funding experiences its steepest annual decline on record. UN Women said the impact is being felt in countries including Haiti, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where local women’s organisations often remain on the ground long after international agencies have scaled back their presence.

“The women’s organisations at risk of being shut down are on the frontlines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises,” said Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action. She warned that every dollar removed from these organisations means less support for survivors of sexual violence, displaced mothers and girls forced out of school.

The report, based on responses from 855 women-led and women’s rights organisations across 52 conflict-affected countries, found that 84 percent have seen demand for their services increase since January 2025. However, nearly nine in 10 said they can no longer meet existing needs because of funding shortages.

The findings suggest the situation could worsen, with two in five organisations expecting to close temporarily or permanently within the next year.

According to UN Women, the funding crisis is already having severe consequences. Half of the organisations surveyed said they have introduced waiting lists or are turning away women and girls seeking assistance. More than 80 percent also reported increases in gender-based violence, while nearly two-thirds said services in remote and conflict-affected communities have already been reduced.

UN Women warned that sustained investment is urgently needed to prevent the collapse of organisations it described as essential first responders for women and girls caught in humanitarian crises.