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	Amid funding crunch, UNHCR issues urgent call to protect women and girls from surging violence by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency   Mar. 2025   On this year’s International Women’s Day, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warns that critical funding shortages are leaving displaced women and girls at unprecedented risk.   Reports of conflict-related sexual violence have surged by 50 per cent in recent years. Yet funding shortfalls are forcing humanitarian organizations to cut essential services in crisis-affected regions.   Safe houses – once a refuge for survivors at risk of immediate attacks by traffickers, armed groups and other perpetrators – have been shuttered. Legal aid programmes, which once offered a path to justice, have been dismantled, allowing perpetrators of violence to act with impunity.   “Women and girls fleeing war deserve to find safety. Yet across the world, they are now at even greater risk of rape and other forms of horrific violence. Without immediate funding, more safe houses will close, more survivors will be turned away, and more women and girls will face violence with no medical and psychosocial support. It’s heartbreaking and unacceptable,” said Ruven Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.   The lack of global humanitarian funding is having devastating consequences. In South Sudan, only 25 per cent of the dedicated spaces created by UNHCR for women and girls at risk of violence are currently operational, leaving up to 80,000 people without access to services such as emergency psychosocial support and legal and medical assistance.   Programmes to protect refugees - particularly adolescent girls - from child marriage and other forms of violence have also been suspended, putting over 2,000 of them at aggravated risk.   In Ethiopia, more than 200,000 refugees and internally displaced persons no longer have access to life-saving services, including a safe house that used to host women in immediate danger of being killed.   In Jordan, at least 63 programmes providing specialist support to women and girls are closing down or on hold, leaving 200,000 vulnerable people in both refugee and host communities without help.   For years, programmes to prevent and respond to sexual and other forms of violence against refugee and stateless women and girls have saved lives, providing safety, legal assistance, medical care and psychosocial support – critical services for survivors escaping violence.   Yet despite its life-saving importance, support in this area has suffered from years of underinvestment and was only 38 per cent funded in 2024. The current crisis in humanitarian funding risks pushing this vital work beyond the point of no return.   On this International Women’s Day, we remind the world that displaced women and girls are not only survivors; they are leaders and changemakers. We must sustain and increase investment in their safety, education and economic empowerment to break these vicious cycles of violence and drive lasting change.   http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/amid-funding-crunch-unhcr-issues-urgent-call-protect-women-and-girls-surging Visit the related web page
	Critical threats to the health and rights of millions of women and girls by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)   Jan. 2025   As the world heads into a new year, humanitarian emergencies in multiple countries are vying for attention – and funds. In 2024, UNFPA’s humanitarian response operations were just 42 per cent funded overall, posing critical threats to the health and rights of millions of women and girls.   Without sufficient resources, UNFPA cannot deploy midwives where they are most needed, shelters for survivors of gender-based violence are forced to close, and women and girls lose access to essential health supplies and services. All of this is already unfolding in some of the most pressing, but least supported, emergencies around the world.   Yet the funding outlook for 2025 is anything but promising. Global cooperation is increasingly under threat, and the gap between humanitarian needs and funding to meet them is growing. In particular, the specific needs of women and girls are often overlooked with humanitarian response, such as gender-based violence, which is one of the most underfunded sectors.   The costs of inaction will be stark. We already know that a majority of maternal deaths take place in fragile contexts. Women in crisis settings also experience twice the rate of gender-based violence – 70 per cent – and adolescent girls are 90 per cent more likely to be out of school compared to those not in crisis settings.   But these outcomes are not inevitable. They are choices made by governments, donors, civil society and more. In 2025, UNFPA and its partners are raising the alarm that women and girls are most at risk when their reproductive rights, safety and humanity are kept in the shadows.   Below we shine a spotlight on some of the most underfunded crises for women in the world.   Cameroon – Multiple threats for women and girls   Cameroon is battling mass internal displacement from repeated climate emergencies and violence by armed groups, as well as a significant refugee influx from neighbouring countries. UNFPA is working to meet the rising needs of some 3.4 million people and investing in climate-resilient health infrastructure.   This helps support women like Aicha, who after fleeing massive floods while pregnant and already displaced by violence told UNFPA, “I was so scared for the baby in my womb and for myself.”   In numbers: For 2025, UNFPA is asking for US$9 million for Cameroon. Last year’s appeal was less than one third funded, meaning UNFPA was unable to reach more than half of the people in need of its services, and could no longer support 36 primary healthcare centres and 20 safe spaces.   Chad – Multiple crises and a neighbour at war   Conflict, climate emergencies and displacement are driving the crisis in Chad. And since the war in Sudan broke out, Chad has seen the largest arrival of refugees in its history, with conditions in numerous displacement camps cramped, unsanitary and dangerous. As millions of women and girls lack adequate access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and protection services, the current deep lack of funding for humanitarian response is only making the situation more tenuous.   In numbers: UNFPA requirements for 2025 are $27.8 million. Last year, just one third of the appeal was funded. This meant the organization could not reach more than 77,000 people with the sexual and reproductive health services they required, 50,000 women and girls could not access gender-based violence support, and some 111 primary health facilities were no longer supported.   The Democratic Republic of the Congo – Sexual violence and maternal deaths soar   Recurrent kidnappings, rape, and exploitation are wielded against women and girls as weapons of terror in the Deomcratic Republic of the Congo. In 2024, 7.7 million people needed gender-based violence protection, as overcrowded displacement sites offered little safety or security, and even routine activities like gathering water and firewood became fraught with danger. A breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has also led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications.   In numbers: For 2025, UNFPA needs $40 million. Only 37 per cent of the appeal was funded in 2024. As a consequence, of the 2.5 million people in urgent need of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence response services, just over 500,000 were reached. In the eastern provinces, 100 primary healthcare centres and 180 safe spaces were no longer supported.   Haiti – A war on the bodies of women and girls   In Haiti, underfunded health systems strained by political instability, violence and climate disasters have resulted in rising rates of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth. With over 700,000 people forced from their homes in 2024, reports of sexual violence have surged dramatically. Yet only one in four survivors are able to receive care within the critical 72-hour period. As one doctor told UNFPA, “Since the increase in gang attacks, we noticed a high rate of early pregnancy, particularly in accommodation sites.”   In numbers: UNFPA requirements for 2025 in Haiti are $28.9 million. In 2024, less than 20 per cent of the appeal was funded, meaning more than 930,000 people had no access to UNFPA’s interventions.   Mozambique – A cycle of shocks and conflict   After Cyclone Chido tore through Mozambique in December 2024, Cecília Wachave, a 45-year-old mother of two daughters from Cabo Delgado, told UNFPA, “I wished the night wouldn’t come again – I didn’t know what would happen while sleeping under the tree without light.” The cyclone was the latest in a string of climate disasters to beset the country, on top of resurgent armed conflict, hunger and widespread displacement.   In numbers: UNFPA requirements for 2025 in Mozambique are $16 million. In 2024, only 11 per cent of the appeal was funded, causing almost half of UNFPA’s 22 safe spaces to close.   Myanmar – Rising poverty and vanishing support   Escalating conflict and climate shocks are increasing humanitarian needs in Myanmar, where over 3.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes across the country. Approximately 8.7 million people need gender-based violence response services, yet a severe lack of funding and damaged health infrastructure have hampered support efforts and cut off women’s and girls’ ability to reach vital care. This includes new mothers like Nan Nwe, who after losing her home to Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State told UNFPA, “We need more healthcare services and facilities in operation. I want my baby safe, this is all I need.”.   In numbers: In 2025, UNFPA is appealing for $39.4 million for its work in Myanmar – a response that last year was only 22 per cent funded.   South Sudan – Conflict and mass displacement stretch already scarce resources   South Sudan bears deep scars of gender-based violence from years of civil war, and continues to experience brutal intercommunal conflict and unequal and harmful gender norms, leaving women and girls at high risk of sexual and physical violence. Consecutive years of widespread flooding have caused vast internal displacement, and high numbers of returnees fleeing conflict in Sudan has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.   More and more people are seeking support, while services are overstretched and resources run dry. UNFPA is providing life-saving sexual reproductive health services and gender-based violence response despite the difficult operating environment.   In numbers: In 2024 UNFPA called for $18.1 million for South Sudan, which was only 17 per cent funded. As a result, UNFPA reached just half of the targeted population and supported only 7 out of 22 primary health facilities.   Sudan – Cascading threats in an escalating emergency   With 8.8 million people forced from their homes since war broke out in 2023, Sudan is the world’s largest internal displacement crisis. The emergency has pushed over 9 million into severe hunger, among them some 220,000 pregnant women. Last year the number of people at risk of gender-based violence nearly doubled to more than 12 million.   Exacerbating these risks, up to 80 per cent of health facilities are either closed or barely functioning and there is a critical lack of medical supplies and health workers. Amid this crisis, UNFPA is dedicated to reaching those most in need of support, even in the least accessible areas.   “Without the mobile health team, I don’t know what I would do,” Fatima, a mother and survivor of sexual violence told UNFPA. “They are like family to me.”   In numbers: In 2025 UNFPA needs over $145 million for Sudan. In 2024, just 20 per cent of its request of $82.9 million was received. This meant UNFPA could not support almost half of the 81 targeted primary health centres, 10 of the emergency obstetric service centres and 20 out of 51 mobile teams.   Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) – Gender inequality in the spotlight   Economic instability, political turmoil and recurrent violence have taken a heavy toll on Venezuela’s women and girls. Gender-based violence, unintended pregnancies due to unavailable and unaffordable contraceptives, and difficulties accessing healthcare have all increased women’s vulnerability to abuse and maternal mortality.   “The last time I was in labour, I was on the brink of death,” Omaira Opikuko, a member of the Yukpa indigenous community, told UNFPA. For indigenous women and girls, the dangers of dying in pregnancy and childbirth are often exacerbated by poverty and geographic isolation.   In numbers: For 2025, UNFPA needs $28 million to continue its programmes in Venezuela, which last year were just one third funded.   Despite these unprecedented challenges, last year UNFPA equipped around 3,500 health facilities in humanitarian contexts with supplies, staff and funds to deliver life-saving care, while more than 1,600 safe spaces were able to offer refuge and recovery to millions of women and girls. This was in large part thanks to funding received through the Humanitarian Thematic Fund, UNFPA's dedicated mechanism for responding to emergencies and channelling resources where they are most urgently needed.   In 2025, UNFPA is calling for $1.4 billion to continue reaching more than 45 million women, girls and young people across 57 countries. With urgent needs growing and many crises dangerously underfunded, we cannot let the lights go out for those who need us most.   http://www.unfpa.org/emergencies http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/life-dangerous-women-camp-central-african-republic-survivors-sexual-violence-lose-critical-support-funding-slashed   Dec. 2024   Three global trends on a collision course… with women and girls at the crossroads   As 2024 draws to a close, the world is grappling with ever-intensifying crises. UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, has just launched it's humanitarian appeal to address the unique needs of women and girls trapped in, or uprooted by, this wave of emergencies.   Yet at the same time, support for the needs of crisis-affected women and girls is under threat. Below are three global trends poised to collide in the year ahead: Without urgent and global action, the world’s most vulnerable women and girls will be caught in the crossfire of all of them.   1- Catastrophes are rising sharply, with unique impacts on women and girls.   Violent conflicts, extreme weather events, and forced displacement are reaching record levels. Across these emergency settings, women and girls face unique and often neglected challenges.   To start with, many crises are roiling in countries where women and girls already face systematic disadvantages, imperilling their mobility, agility and ability to access aid.   Of the countries facing the highest levels of disaster-related internal displacement, for example, one third rank among the most gender unequal places in the world.   On top of this, in virtually all crises, women and girls face rocketing levels of gender-based violence – roughly twice the rates compared to those in non-humanitarian settings.   All of this plays a role in making crises uniquely harrowing for women and girls – who continue to have their periods, become pregnant and give birth, all while sexual and reproductive health services take a back seat in emergency responses.   UNFPA and its partners are working to ensure these needs are met, even in the most dangerous and deprived places. In 2024, UNFPA reached 10 million people with reproductive health services across 59 crisis-affected countries, support that includes contraception, menstruation supplies, and prenatal, safe delivery and post-natal care. Protection from gender-based violence was provided to 3.6 million people.   Still, this work reached just a small portion of crisis-affected women and girls globally.   2- Global cooperation – and humanitarian funding – are under threat.   “Today, multilateralism is under attack from all sides,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned. This trend – driven by growing mistrust and nativism – threatens the very collective action needed to address the onslaught of violence- and disaster-related catastrophes.   One critical form of global cooperation is humanitarian funding, which has for years failed to keep pace with the proliferation of crises. And funding gaps are especially stark when it comes to the gendered needs of women and girls.   Globally, the humanitarian response to gender-based violence, for example, is one of the most underfunded sectors, with just 27 per cent of the required funding for 2024 received by 24 November.   UNFPA sees this firsthand. By September 2024, UNFPA’s annual appeal for humanitarian support was only 43 per cent funded. In the 34 most underresourced crises, this funding gap stands at a staggering 75 per cent.   Even more severe shortfalls are anticipated in the year ahead, a period when 11 million pregnant women are expected to require humanitarian aid and 92 million people are projected to require protection from, and services for, gender-based violence.   3- Support for women’s rights and reproductive rights eroding   The world faces continued pushback against women’s and girls’ rights and their sexual and reproductive health. New data released this year shows that, in 40 per cent of countries with data, women’s ability to exercise bodily autonomy is actually diminishing.   “Human reproduction is being politicized. The rights of women, girls and gender diverse people are the subject of increasing pushback,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem. “Yet we can, and we must, push forward.”   Despite the challenging funding environment, UNFPA is deploying thousands of midwives and medical teams to humanitarian zones. In 2024, UNFPA equipped over 3,500 health facilities to deliver life-saving care, and established more than 1,600 safe spaces for women and girls to seek refuge and empowerment programmes.   And in the year ahead, UNFPA will strengthen local and national responses – especially among women- and youth-led organizations, and to improve emergency preparedness. These measures aim to improve the resilience of at-risk communities while empowering the women and girls on the frontlines who know their needs best.   The coming year will present many challenges, but we already know how to overcome them: With solidarity. “The way forward, how we proceed and succeed, is by working together,” Dr. Kanem said.   http://www.unfpa.org/HAO2025 http://www.unfpa.org/safebirth#/en http://www.unfpa.org/emergencies http://asiapacific.unfpa.org/en/news/unfpas-work-supporting-vulnerable-women-and-girls-south-asia http://www.unfpa.org/events/international-day-zero-tolerance-female-genital-mutilation http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/03/silence-female-genital-mutilation-sierra-leone-will-not-protect-us/ http://www.unfpa.org/news/explainer-what-unfpa-and-why-does-it-matter   27 Feb. 2025   US funding cuts confirmed, ending lifesaving support for women and girls. (UN News)   The United States has cut $377 million worth of funding to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, it was confirmed on Thursday, leading to potentially “devasting impacts”, on women and girls.   “At 7pm on 26 February, UNFPA was informed that nearly all of our grants (48 as of now) with USAID and the US State Department have been terminated,” the UN agency said in a statement.   “This decision will have devastating impacts on women and girls and the health and aid workers who serve them in the world’s worst humanitarian crises.”   The USAID grants were designated to provide critical maternal healthcare, protection from violence, rape treatment and other lifesaving care in humanitarian settings. This includes UNFPA’s work to end maternal death, safely deliver babies and address horrific violence faced by women and girls.   The UN agency partners with 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services. Its goal is ending unmet needs for family planning, preventable maternal death, gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, by 2030.   “These termination notices include grants for which we had previously received humanitarian waivers, as they were considered lifesaving interventions for the world's most vulnerable women and girls,” UNFPA said.   The grants funded programmes in countries including Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Mali, Sudan, Syria and its neighbouring countries, as well as Ukraine. http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160631   Trump Administration UNFPA defunding will harm millions - Lancet Medical Journal   The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned that millions of women and girls globally will lose access to essential sexual and reproductive health services as Donald Trump's expected defunding of the agency goes ahead.   “The impact will be devastating and in particular devastating for women in humanitarian settings”, Sarah Craven, Director of UNFPA's Washington Office, told The Lancet.   In his first term as President, Trump stopped US funding to the agency within a few months of taking office. “We have reason to believe that we will lose our US funding”, Craven said. She points to Project 2025, the far right blueprint the Trump Administration proposes to enact to stop funding to UNFPA.   Presently, the USA is UNFPA's largest humanitarian donor. In 2024, UNFPA received some US$230 million from the US Democrat Biden Administration, of which over $200 million was for humanitarian work. Losing this money will impact many countries in crisis.   For instance, in Nigeria's conflict-affected regions, over half a million vulnerable people, primarily women and girls, will lose access to crucial health services. In Yemen, almost 1 million women will be without reproductive health services and 300 000 women will lose access to gender-based violence mitigation and prevention services. In Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, midwifery services will be cut, and the future of the only 24-hour facility providing emergency obstetric and newborn care will be at risk.   Experts say defunding UNFPA will harm women. “It will have devastating consequences for women and girls facing gender-based violence and inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health services”, says   Terry McGovern, Senior Associate Dean from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health. “UNFPA provides life-saving and essential care, from safe delivery kits to trauma counselling for survivors of gender-based violence”, says Elisha Dunn-Georgiou, President of the Global Health Council. “Cutting this funding erodes lifelines to some of the most vulnerable populations in the world".   Blocking US funds to UNFPA will have far-reaching consequences, says Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, CEO of Population Action International. “It undermines UNFPA's transformative work to protect women and girls, deepens inequalities, hinders progress in reducing maternal mortality, and reverses decades of advancements in sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially in the face of conflict and climate change.. more women and girls who will suffer and die as a result”.   http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00134-5/fulltext http://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center/press-releases/2025/01/mexico-city-policy Visit the related web page
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