News: UN Peacekeeping runs out of money, troops

Few reasons to celebrate UN Peacekeeping's 60th anniversary: the world peace body seems to head for a crisis: Demand for blue helmets around the world skyrockets while financial contributions dwindle and reserves of well-trained soldiers dry up.

The UN peacekeeping department (DPKO) has grown exponentially since its first mission in 1948, to the current annual budget of $7.1 billion.

UN officials say even that budget is insufficient as the United Nations prepares for a mission to Somalia and to expand current missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic. (Full)

[Ed: Hint- try rationalizing expenditure, transparent auditing and evaluating missions based on actual performance. Quality sells!]

More on The Road about UN and UN peacekeeping.

Picture courtesy UNESCAP