The United Nations (UN) will reduce its global peacekeeping forces by 25% in the coming months due to financial shortages, largely stemming from US aid cuts.
This reduction amounts to approximately 13,000 to 14,000 soldiers and police officers, according to a senior UN official who spoke to AFP on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
The official stated that military and police units involved in peacekeeping missions will be repatriated, and the amount of equipment will also be scaled back.
In addition, a significant number of civilian staff working on these missions will be affected.
The peacekeeping budget for July 2025 to June 2026 stands at around $5.4 billion, with $1.3 billion funded by the US and $1.2 billion by China.
However, former US President Donald Trump had announced major cuts to foreign aid, resulting in reduced financing for humanitarian programmes and UN agencies, leading to severe budgetary shortfalls.
Currently, the UN has approximately 60,000 personnel deployed globally, according to the organisation’s website.
These troops, drawn from 120 countries, are involved in 11 different peacekeeping missions worldwide.
