The days of peace missions involving multiple countries are numbered. According to experts from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), these essential operations are actually at risk due to escalating geopolitical tensions, political pressures, and lack of funding.
According to a report published by the international organization, the number of personnel deployed in peacekeeping operations worldwide at the end of last year stood at approximately 79,000 people, a decrease of nearly half compared to 2016.
It is in Africa and Asia where the countries that contribute the most to the various missions can be found. Uganda (4657 soldiers), Ethiopia (3446 soldiers), and Kenya (2158 soldiers) are the main “suppliers” in this field in Africa.
In Asia, Nepal (4299 men), India (4090 soldiers), Pakistan (2386 men), Indonesia (1898 soldiers), and China (1635 men) all contribute to different missions.
Italy (1857 soldiers) and the United States (1175 men) also make significant contributions, according to the data collected by Sipri, still as of the end of December 2025.
The Lion’s Share in Africa
Last year, there were about 58 peacekeeping operations, including 18 under the United Nations and 34 under regional organizations and alliances.
The peace stabilization mission in the Central African Republic required the most personnel last year, with over 15,000. In South Sudan, over 12,000 people were trying to prevent further violence, while a similar number of people were stationed in Somalia, all on the African continent.
Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also hosted a stabilization mission under the control of the UN, with over 9600 men.
In the Middle East, the United Nations was still operating a force of nearly 8000 soldiers by the end of last year, attempting to ensure peace between Israel and Lebanon. This number may have changed due to a new war breaking out between Israel and its northern neighbor following the resumption of hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
For the year 2025 alone, the decrease in personnel has reached 17%, as indicated in the report. This statistic raises concerns for the future.
A Critical Situation
“If the situation persists, we could witness a dramatic weakening of multilateral conflict management and the near-total marginalization of institutions like the United Nations, due to a combination of financial, political, and geopolitical factors,” explains Dr. Jaïr van der Lijn, director of the Peace Operations and Conflict Management Program at Sipri, in a statement.
The lack of chronic funding is one of the reasons behind this crisis. Donors did not fulfill all their financial commitments last year, resulting in a shortfall of about $2 billion for peacekeeping operations, more than a third of the total budget for 2025.
This deficit has forced significant cutbacks. In addition, due to heightened tensions at the UN Security Council, where “firm demands and veto threats from permanent members have complicated decisions regarding mandate renewals,” peacekeeping missions that are crucial could be canceled soon.
In Lebanon, the 8000 UN peacekeepers deployed there will have to leave by the end of this year. According to the authors of the report, while no new UN missions have been approved since 2014, regional initiatives have not been as effective as those led by the international organization.
In fact, there may be no viable alternative to UN-led crisis management. To ensure the continuation of these missions, as well as the resolution of conflicts and the prevention of further deterioration in the geopolitical and security context, Sipri specialists are calling for sustained funding for peace missions and stronger commitments from UN member states.
“The collapse of multilateral conflict management is not inevitable. There is evidently broad support in principle for UN peacekeeping operations,” notes Claudia Pfeifer Cruz, senior researcher for the Peace Operations and Conflict Management Program at Sipri.
