UN to reduce global peacekeeping forces by a quarter due to lack of funds

(Patria) - The United Nations will reduce the number of peacekeeping forces in eleven operations worldwide by a quarter in the coming months due to a lack of money, senior UN officials said on Wednesday, and future funding from the United States remains uncertain, Reuters reports.

"Overall, we will have to repatriate... about 25% of our total peacekeeping troops and police, as well as their equipment, and a large number of civilian staff in the missions will also be affected," said a senior UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "This would amount to between 13,000 and 14,000 soldiers and police officers," he said.

Washington is the largest donor to UN peacekeeping operations, with over 26% of the funding, followed by China, which pays nearly 24%. These payments are not voluntary.

The United States already had a debt of $1.5 billion before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, another UN official said. Washington now owes an additional $1.3 billion, bringing its total outstanding bill to over $2.8 billion. The United States has informed the UN that it will soon make a payment of $680 million, a UN official said.

U.S. President Donald Trump canceled about $800 million in peacekeeping mission funding for 2024 and 2025 in August, according to a message from the Trump administration to Congress.

The White House Office of Management and Budget also proposed cutting funding for UN peacekeeping missions in 2026, citing the failures of operations in Mali, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UN has peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Kosovo, Cyprus, the Central African Republic, Western Sahara, the demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria, Abyei - an administrative area jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, and on the ceasefire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs, as this world organization celebrates its eightieth anniversary this year amid a financial crisis.