Women face worsening healthcare crisis as aid cuts deepen

Shoko Arakaki, director of the UNFPA's humanitarian response division, visited Haiti in July and found women and girls struggling to access emergency contraception and other medical care. With international aid cuts, frontline organizations are forced to close services or turn people away.

The crisis is not limited to Haiti. In countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, and Myanmar, funding shortages are undermining reproductive healthcare and protection services for women and girls. UNFPA warns that up to 12 million women and girls could lose access if aid gaps persist.

Without timely medical care, survivors of sexual violence face risks including unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and severe health complications. Arakaki emphasized that these consequences extend beyond individuals, affecting entire generations by pushing women into extreme poverty and increasing vulnerability for their children.

Global aid cuts have accelerated as major donors, including the US, Germany, France, the UK, and Switzerland, scaled back assistance. The OECD reported a 23.1% decline in development aid to $174.3 billion in 2025, the sharpest drop on record. Meanwhile, armed conflicts have more than doubled over the past 15 years, reaching over 130 in 2026.

Humanitarian workers say aid cuts disproportionately harm women and girls, with 95% of US sexual and reproductive health funding cut in 2025. A UN Women report found that 84% of women’s organizations in crisis-affected areas reported rising demand, while 88% could not meet existing needs. Nearly one million women and girls have lost access to previously available services.

In Yemen, the public health system, already weakened by years of conflict and displacement, faces collapse as donor support dwindles. UNFPA and other agencies provide critical support for health centers, but funding cuts have led to a sharp decline in maternal care. Six out of ten births occur without a skilled attendant, and one woman dies every two hours from childbirth-related causes.