UN to slash its global peacekeeping force

The United Nations will cut a quarter of peacekeepers in nine operations around the world in the coming months due to a lack of money, senior U.N. officials said.

The UN will begin slashing its peacekeeping force and operations as a result of the latest U.S. funding cuts to the world body, a senior U.N. official said.

"Overall, we will have to repatriate... around 25% of our total peacekeeping troops and police, as well as their equipment, and a large number of civilian staff in missions will also be affected," the statement reads.

That would amount to between 13,000 and 14,000 military and police personnel out of more than 50,000 peacekeepers deployed across nine global missions. The U.N. plans to reduce the peacekeeping force’s budget by approximately 15% for this year.