UNFPA Statement: Don't Let the Lights Go Out on Women and Girls in Neglected Crises

In a world marked by protracted conflicts and accelerating climate change, humanitarian needs have soared in recent years, yet, the funding to match them has not. Now the humanitarian sector is grappling with unprecedented funding cuts, leaving an even bigger gap.

The need for health and protection services is highest in humanitarian settings: 70% of women in crises are subjected to gender-based violence – double the rate in non-crisis settings; and 60% of preventable maternal deaths occur in countries affected by crisis.

When funding is cut, it is often women and girls in fragile settings – forgotten by the headlines, overlooked in budget decisions – who pay the highest price. That is why UNFPA is sounding the alarm: the lights risk going out for the services that millions of women and girls depend on in the most neglected humanitarian crises.

In these neglected crises, UNFPA’s humanitarian response p​lans were already under 30% funded in 2024. The funding situation this year will most certainly be worse. What this means on the ground is a shortage of midwives to support women in labour; a lack of medicines and equipment to handle childbirth complications; shuttered safe spaces; and a lack of medical care, counselling or legal services for survivors of gender-based violence.

With the Don’t let the lights go out campaign, UNFPA aims to shine a light on the needs of women and girls in these crises - to raise vital funds to support them and to reaffirm  that women’s health, safety and rights must remain non-negotiable priorities in any humanitarian response.

Women and girls are not passive victims of conflict and disaster. They are leaders, change-makers, and the backbone of recovery and resilience. Their strength, courage and determination are central to creating lasting peace and security.

That is why UNFPA’s Humanitarian Thematic Fund is so essential. It provides flexible, multi-year funding to underfunded crises where needs are greatest. Some 80% of the funds go to local and women-led organizations at the forefront of humanitarian response – which means investing in the health, hopes and futures of millions of women and girls.

Don't let the lights go out on the hopes, the health, and the futures of millions of women and girls in the world's most neglected crises. Together, we can keep health centres and safe spaces open, ensure midwives are present when lives are on the line, and protect the rights and dignity of every woman and girl.