India in Peacekeeping Missions

The United Nations, after approval of the United Nations Security council often deploys peacekeepers in regions where there are troubles and danger to human life and dignity. These peacekeepers are made up of volunteers from the member states of the UN.

India’s peacekeeping efforts

• India has been and remains one of the world’s largest contributors of troops to UN peacekeeping missions.
• It has deployed more than 2,00,000 personnel in operations since 1950 which is the most of any country.
• Indian peacekeeping forces have also suffered the highest number of deaths (164 out of 6,593 personnel) among all the nationalities that have been on the United Nations peacekeeping mission since 1948.
• On March 2019, the United Nations owed India USD 38 million for the peacekeeping operations. This is the highest it had to pay for any country.
• While one of the earliest deployment of Indian peacekeepers was in the Korean peninsula, currently Indian peacekeepers are deployed most in the Middle East and Saharan Africa.
• Currently, India is the world’s 4th largest contributor of military personnel and police to United Nations peacekeeping operations and has deployed over 6,322 officers deployed in various UN missions.

Why is it in the news?

• Indian peacekeepers have been given laurels for their commendable service in Haiti where they went beyond the call of duty in serving the people.
• The Indian Peacekeepers were deployed in support of the Haitian Police for over 10 years and the UN mission in Haiti ends in October.
• Between 2008 and 2019 of their deployment, over 3,260 Indian policemen served with Haitian police and assisted with law enforcement, joint patrols, checkpoints.

They also escorted humanitarian aid convoys in the various areas affected by a natural disaster like the Haitian Earthquake.