A Year of Harms: The Impact of US Foreign Aid Cuts on Women and Girls in Humanitarian Crises

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order instituting a 90-day pause on United States foreign aid, ultimately cutting over $40 billion in official development assistance, including more than $10 billion in humanitarian assistance. This report provides the most comprehensive synthesis to date on how these cuts have impacted women and girls in humanitarian crises. Using a scoping review methodology, the research systematically identified, mapped, and critically assessed 105 sources with concrete evidence on the impacts of recent US foreign aid cuts on women and girls in humanitarian settings.  

This review found clear and direct evidence that US funding cuts have had immediate and multidimensional impacts on women and girls affected by humanitarian crises. Findings are presented across five interconnected areas of impact for women and girls: loss of lifesaving healthcare; loss of safety from violence; loss of educational and livelihood opportunities; loss of civic spaces; and mitigating loss and harm. The report ends with recommendations to mitigate and reverse harms through protecting funding for gender equality, prioritizing funding to women-led organizations, and redesigning and rebuilding a humanitarian system with gender equality and local leadership at the center.