UNFPA launches $1.4 billion appeal to safeguard the rights and well-being of women and girls in crises

More than 11 million pregnant women require urgent support in 2025

UNFPA, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, today launched its global appeal for 2025, seeking $1.4 billion to deliver life-saving reproductive health services and vital gender-based violence prevention programmes to more than 45 million women, girls, and young people across 57 crisis-affected countries. This appeal comes as an estimated 11 million pregnant women will require urgent support in 2025.

In 2024, global crises displaced a record 122.6 million people, with women and girls comprising half of those affected. For them, natural disasters and climate shocks carry devastating consequences, as the risks of pregnancy and childbirth become life-threatening, and incidents of gender-based violence, including rape, escalate sharply. Moreover, as crises multiplied and needs escalated in 2024, insufficient funding created a staggering 75 percent resource gap across 34 crises. This shortfall forced difficult decisions, leaving millions of women and girls without access to essential services and support, often with life-threatening — and sometimes fatal — consequences.

“In every conflict zone and disaster, women and girls face profound risks that threaten their lives and wellbeing and access to essential services,” said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem. “With this funding appeal, we are calling on the international community to invest in the health and dignity of women and girls caught in crisis, and to help build a future free from fear and violence.”

Despite unprecedented access and funding challenges, UNFPA’s humanitarian responses in 2024 reached over 10 million people with reproductive health services and supported gender-based violence prevention and response services for 3.6 million individuals across 59 crisis-affected countries. UNFPA also deployed networks of thousands of midwives and medical teams to humanitarian zones, 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.

“On the frontlines, we see the devastating impact of underfunded responses every day,” said Shoko Arakaki, Director of UNFPA’s Humanitarian Response Division. “Women and girls in some of the world’s most neglected crises endure unimaginable hardship, yet their resilience inspires us to push forward. This appeal is about ensuring that no one is left behind, no matter how remote or underfunded their circumstances.”

In 2025, UNFPA aims to advance two key priorities: strengthening local and national responses and enhancing emergency preparedness. Building on its 2024 milestone, where 35 per cent of humanitarian funding was directed to local and women-led organizations, UNFPA plans to increase this share to 43 per cent in 2025. Additionally, UNFPA will enhance its early response capacity by expanding the prepositioning of critical supplies across various hubs worldwide, ensuring swift and effective action when crises arise.

“Through supporting this appeal, together we can ensure that no woman dies while giving life and that every woman and girl can live safe from harm, even in the most dire circumstances,” added Dr. Kanem.

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