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Geneva, Oct 9: The United Nations is set to reduce its global peacekeeping personnel by about one quarter, meaning between 13,000 and 14,000 troops will be withdrawn from current deployments of over 50,000. The move is in response to the U.S. cutting its financial contribution, a cornerstone of UN peacekeeping budgets.
Budget reductions will hit missions in places like Congo, South Sudan, Lebanon, and Somalia. Overall UN peacekeeping spending is planned to drop by 15%.
While Secretary-General António Guterres insists that peacekeeping remains cost-effective, questions are being raised about how much the cuts will affect operational readiness and civilians in conflict zones.
