Funding Crisis Leaves Over Half of Gender-Based Violence Survivors in West Africa Without Support
more than 55% of gender-based violence (GBV) survivors in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria have lost access to critical support services due to widespread funding cuts, according to data released December 1, 2025, by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Girls increasingly vulnerable to violence, isolation, and long-term harm across the Sahel region. The IRC is urgently calling on international donor governments to substantially increase financial assistance to organizations responding to this escalating crisis.
Widespread Service Disruptions
The crisis stems from substantial funding cuts earlier in the year, leading to the complete suspension of vital case management programs for up to five months in some areas. Even as some programs have resumed,they are operating at a reduced capacity,with fewer than 55% of specialized GBV caseworkers rehired. This limited coverage leaves countless survivors without access to the life-saving medical care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance they desperately need.
In Mali, the situation is particularly dire, with nearly 90% of survivor cases in Menaka still awaiting full support. In Burkina Faso, over 500 women and girls in the Sahel and North regions are at risk of losing access to essential resources like dignity kits, awareness sessions, and ongoing case management. Across Nigeria, between 42% and 67% of GBV cases remain “open” in Borno, Adamawa, Katsina, and Zamfara States, leaving hundreds without critical support following program closures. Niger is also facing critically important challenges, with 26% of GBV cases in Diffa and Tillabéri no longer being actively managed. In the town of Balayera, the IRC was the sole provider of protection services, highlighting the devastating impact of the funding shortfall.
The Human Cost of Abandoned support
The consequences of these service disruptions are deeply personal and far-reaching. “With the end of the project, I feel isolated,” shared Safiatou, a woman at risk in eastern mali who lost access to IRC services. “I keep my problems to myself as this project was special. It always gave us the prospect to share our fears and concerns…The staff always responded to our concerns: they were like doctors to us girls.”
The lack of immediate support is particularly troubling in cases of sexual assault, where timely intervention within the critical 72-hour window is crucial. Frontline workers report significant delays in accessing care, exacerbating trauma and hindering recovery.
“When services were shut down,survivors were left in the dark,” explained Yolande Longang,Women’s Protection and Empowerment Technical Advisor for IRC in west Africa.”With urgent medical care and emotional support disrupted, survivors were left to endure their trauma in isolation.” She further emphasized that even when services resumed,they were ofen a “shadow of what was needed,” limited to the most critical cases.
A System Under Strain
The funding crisis is not occurring in a vacuum. Humanitarian actors are also grappling with administrative barriers and security constraints,further complicating efforts to provide care. While community-based organizations are trained to respond, they lack the necessary resources to fully assume service delivery. Government structures are similarly overwhelmed and under-resourced.
The IRC warns that without urgent action, hard-won gains in addressing GBV – including adequate staffing and community engagement – risk being reversed. Continued reductions in foreign aid are placing unprecedented strain on local organizations and decentralized systems already operating at their limits.
A Call for Urgent Action
The IRC stresses that gender-based violence prevention and response are lifesaving services and must be prioritized in all humanitarian response plans. Urgent and sustained funding is essential to support GBV response organizations, including local groups, to close the widening resource gap. Together, strengthening local structures and systems is crucial to provide long-term, sustainable support to survivors.The international community must recognize the critical need for investment in these vital services to protect women and girls and ensure their access to safety, dignity, and justice.
