The United Nations will begin slashing its peacekeeping force and operations, forcing thousands of soldiers in the next several months to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest US funding cuts to the world body, a senior UN official has said.
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The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting, briefed reporters on Wednesday on the 25 per cent reduction in peacekeepers worldwide as the United States, the largest UN donor, makes changes to align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” vision.
Roughly 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel out of more than 50,000 peacekeepers deployed across nine global missions would be sent back to their home countries. The UN support office in Somalia would also be affected. The UN planned to reduce the peacekeeping force’s budget by approximately 15 per cent for this year.
The countries where the UN has peacekeeping missions include the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Kosovo.
Each of the UN’s 193 member countries was legally obliged to pay its share toward peacekeeping.
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has argued that with a budget “representing a tiny fraction of global military spending – around one half of 1 per cent – UN peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security”.