UN peacekeeping missions under strain as funding cuts and new threats grow

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, senior Headquarters and field officials warned that peacekeeping missions are under growing strain, as financial constraints, evolving conflict dynamics and rising operational risks challenge their capacity to protect civilians and sustain fragile gains.

“Our peacekeeping operations must continue to be flexible and adaptable,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for peace operations, stressing that missions remain a vital tool for helping countries move from conflict towards lasting peace.

Yet that role is becoming harder to fulfil.

Funding crunch and blind spots

Peacekeeping missions have faced “significant financial challenges” over the past year, prompting contingency measures that are already affecting performance on the ground, he said, warning that that budget cuts are constraining missions’ ability to carry out core mandates – including protecting civilians and ensuring the safety of UN personnel.

The closure of bases and reduced air support have weakened situational awareness and early warning systems, “creating blind spots, limiting proactive intervention and timely deployment to hotspots.”

Mr. Lacroix urged Member States to pay their assessed contributions “in full and on time”, emphasising that predictable resources are essential for missions to operate effectively.

MINUSCA peacekeepers provide support during elections in Central African Republic in December 2025.

‘Uneven and fragile’ progress in Central African Republic

On the ground in the Central African Republic (CAR), UN peacekeepers have helped support a period of relative stability following the December 2025 elections, which were conducted largely peacefully.

Lieutenant General Humphrey Nyone, Force Commander of the UN mission there (MINUSCA), said the country has entered a “post-election consolidation phase”, with improved security in several regions.

But he cautioned that the situation remains “uneven and fragile”.

In parts of the northeast and southeast, armed groups continue to carry out attacks, including abductions and serious human rights violations. Instability is also being fuelled by spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, with cross-border movements of armed elements and displaced civilians adding pressure to already vulnerable communities.

At the same time, funding shortfalls are hampering MINUSCA’s ability to respond effectively.

Abyei: Stable but precarious

A similar picture is emerging in Abyei – the disputed, oil-rich area straddling Sudan and South Sudan – where UN peacekeepers operate under particularly difficult conditions.

Major General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, Force Commander of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), described the area as “relatively stable” – but stressed that this stability is “neither automatic nor self-sustaining”.

Rather, it is maintained through constant engagement, patrols and coordination with local communities.

Low-level violence, including intercommunal clashes, cattle raiding and criminal activity, continues to pose risks, while the presence of unauthorised armed groups violates existing agreements.

The situation has been further complicated by the war in Sudan, which has disrupted political processes and increased insecurity in the border region.

A UN peacekeeping helicopter flies over a village in West Africa.

New threats emerging

Drone warfare linked to the Sudan conflict has already caused UN casualties elsewhere and forced UNISFA to abandon key positions, including a logistics base.

These developments have raised serious questions about how the mission can continue to monitor and secure the demilitarised zone.

Across missions, UN officials stressed the need to adapt peacekeeping to a rapidly evolving security environment.

While missions are employing new technologies, such as drones and satellite imagery to improve situational awareness and force protection, “technology alone is not a solution,” said Mr. Lacroix.

Missions need sufficient and trained personnel, integrated planning and sustained resources.

Call for global commitment

Ultimately, the UN officials stressed that the effectiveness of peacekeeping depends not only on operational improvements, but on political will.

“The collective credibility of the United Nations depends on its ability and its determination to act when civilians are in danger,” Mr. Lacroix said.

“Without sustained and unequivocal backing from this Council, our missions cannot deliver on the mandates entrusted to them, nor can they fully support the political processes at the heart of lasting peace,” he added.