South Sudan, DRC peacekeeping missions at risk over funding cuts: UN

United Nations peacekeeping missions are under severe financial pressure and US cuts could limit their ability to protect civilians in places like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN peacekeeping spokesperson said on Tuesday.

United States President Donald Trump last week cancelled $4.9 billion in foreign aid authorised by Congress. This includes some $800 million in peacekeeping funding appropriated for 2024 and 2025, according to a Trump administration message to Congress.

The White House budget office has already proposed eliminating funding for UN peacekeeping missions in 2026, citing failures by operations in Mali, Lebanon and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Washington is the largest contributor, accounting for 27% of the $5.6-billion UN peacekeeping budget.

Eleven UN peacekeeping operations active

"Without sufficient resources, we will be doing less with less, with potentially serious implications for peace and security in contexts such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where financial constraints could significantly limit our ability to protect civilians," a UN peacekeeping spokesperson in New York said.

"We urge all member states to pay their contributions to peacekeeping in full and on time to sustain the vital work and impact of peacekeeping," the spokesperson said.

There are currently 11 UN peacekeeping operations around the world. The UN peacekeeping spokesperson said those missions were already "under severe financial pressure due to a liquidity crisis."