The UN will be forced to cut its peacekeeping forces worldwide by about 25% due to a funding shortfall, primarily related to decreased aid from the U.S., a senior UN official said on Wednesday, according to LETA citing AFP.
About 13,000 to 14,000 military personnel and police, along with their equipment, will be repatriated, a representative reported, acknowledging that the reduction will also affect a "large number of civilian mission staff."
It was previously assumed that the U.S. would provide $1.3 billion out of a $5.4 billion budget for peacekeeping operations for 2025–2026.
However, the U.S. has now informed the UN that it will pay approximately half that amount — $682 million. This sum includes $85 million allocated for a new international mission to combat gangs in Haiti, which was not included in the initial budget.
China is expected to allocate $1.2 billion to the UN peacekeeping budget.
Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, U.S. foreign aid has been significantly reduced.
"We understand that this will affect the monitoring of ceasefire agreements, the protection of civilians, cooperation with humanitarian organizations, and other peacekeeping activities," the representative noted.
The reduction of peacekeepers by 25% will affect 11 peacekeeping missions.
UN peacekeepers are deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Lebanon, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Western Sahara, and other regions.
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