As the calendar turns to February 2026, marking four harrowing years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the humanitarian landscape has reached a perilous tipping point. What began as a traditional military conflict has metastasized into a complex “triple crisis” that is disproportionately suffocating the lives of women and girls. Beyond the immediate threat of Russian missiles and the grueling reality of a nationwide energy collapse, a third, more silent threat is emerging: a catastrophic withdrawal of international funding for the very grassroots organizations that serve as the last line of defense for the vulnerable.
The human cost of this protracted war is staggering and continues to accelerate. Recent data confirms that more than 5,000 women and girls have been killed and 14,000 injured since the invasion’s onset. Perhaps most chilling is the revelation that 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians yet, suggesting that rather than stabilizing, the violence is becoming more lethal. These figures, while horrific, are widely considered to be conservative estimates; the true toll, hidden beneath the rubble of occupied territories and front-line villages, is likely significantly higher.
However, the tragedy of 2026 is not only found in the casualty lists but in the systematic dismantling of the support structures that keep survivors alive. A landmark report released by UN Women, titled “The Impact of Foreign Assistance Cuts on Women’s Rights and Women-Led Organizations in Ukraine,” paints a grim picture of an ecosystem under siege. Developed in collaboration with the Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group—co-chaired by NGO Girls and CARE Ukraine—the report documents a funding vacuum that threatens to undo years of progress in gender-based protection and social services.
The financial reality is stark. Due to aggressive cuts in foreign assistance throughout 2025 and 2026, women-led organizations in Ukraine are projected to lose at least USD 52.9 million by the end of this year. This is not merely a budgetary line item; it is a direct blow to the survival of the country’s social fabric. One in three women’s rights organizations surveyed issued a desperate warning: without a reversal of these cuts, they may only survive six months or less. If these organizations collapse, at least 63,000 women and girls who currently rely on them for life-saving services will be left entirely without recourse in 2026.
To understand the weight of this crisis, one must look at the daily reality of women like Valentina. At 76 years old, Valentina lives in a small apartment in central Kyiv. In the biting cold of February, her home has been without central heating for days. Electricity, the lifeblood of modern survival, is a luxury granted for only one hour a day. In the shadows of her kitchen, she warms her hands over the small blue flame of a gas stove—a dangerous but necessary gamble against the freezing temperatures. Valentina’s story is the story of millions. The energy crisis, driven by targeted attacks on infrastructure, has turned simple acts of hygiene, cooking, and staying warm into Herculean tasks.
When the lights go out and the heat fails, it is women-led organizations (WROs) that fill the gap. These groups are often the first to arrive in newly liberated areas or front-line “grey zones” where international NGOs struggle to operate. They provide more than just food and blankets; they offer psychological support for trauma, safe houses for victims of domestic and conflict-related sexual violence, and legal aid for displaced mothers. They are the primary advocates for those who are often forgotten in the grand strategy of war: older women, women-headed households, and women and girls living with disabilities.
The funding crisis is creating a “protection gap” that is widest in the places where the danger is greatest. In rural and front-line areas, where the infrastructure is already decimated, the withdrawal of support means that a woman fleeing violence or an elderly person needing medication has nowhere to turn. These cuts are effectively severing the lifeline between the most marginalized citizens and the humanitarian aid they require to survive.
Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director, has been vocal about the necessity of maintaining these funding streams. “Women’s organizations in Ukraine are the first to stand with women and girls in crisis—and the force behind sustaining protection, dignity, and hope,” Bahous stated. She emphasized that the current trend of cutting aid is not just a financial decision, but a choice that directly impacts the safety and agency of Ukrainian women. “The current funding cuts are severing their life-saving operations. While UN Women continues to work with and invest in women’s organizations in Ukraine, more sustained funding is needed so that they can keep delivering essential services. This is the only way women and girls can have a full and meaningful role in shaping gender-responsive recovery and building a just and lasting peace.”
The irony of the current situation is that as the need for gender-responsive aid grows, the resources to provide it are shrinking. The energy crisis has not only made life harder for civilians but has also crippled the operational capacity of the organizations themselves. Staff members, many of whom are displaced women themselves, are working in dark, unheated offices, trying to manage logistics and trauma counseling while their own families are in peril. The psychological toll on these front-line responders is immense, yet they continue to deliver on their mandates with a resilience that is as inspiring as it is exhausted.
The shift in international attention and the resulting “donor fatigue” are often cited as reasons for the funding decline. However, the UN Women report argues that this is a short-sighted perspective. Investing in women-led organizations is not just an act of charity; it is a strategic necessity for the long-term stability of Ukraine. Women are the primary drivers of community cohesion and local economic survival. When they are protected and empowered, the entire society is more resilient. Conversely, when women’s rights are sidelined and their protection systems are allowed to fail, the recovery process is stunted, and the cycles of poverty and trauma are deepened.
As the war enters its fifth year, the international community faces a choice. It can continue to focus narrowly on military hardware and macro-economic aid, or it can recognize that the heart of Ukraine’s resistance lies in its people—specifically the women who are holding their families and communities together under impossible conditions. To save the 63,000 women and girls currently at risk of losing their services, there must be a renewed commitment to flexible, long-term funding for local women’s rights organizations.
The “triple crisis” of war, energy collapse, and funding cuts is a man-made disaster that requires a gendered solution. For Valentina in Kyiv, and for the thousands of young girls growing up in the shadow of sirens, the blue flame of a gas stove is not enough to keep the future bright. They require a world that sees their struggle, values their leadership, and provides the resources necessary to not just survive the winter, but to lead the way toward a just and lasting peace.
The work of UN Women remains steadfast in this endeavor. As the lead United Nations entity for gender equality, the organization continues to advocate for the rights of women and girls everywhere, pushing for changes in laws, social behaviors, and institutional services to close the gender gap. In Ukraine, this means ensuring that the rights of women remain at the very center of the global humanitarian response. Because, as the organization’s mission dictates, gender equality is not merely a goal—it is the fundamental prerequisite for a world that is safe, equal, and free from the scourge of war.
