Highest UN peacekeeper deaths in last 70 years from India

UNITED NATIONS: India has misplaced the very best choice of its peacekeepers in more than a few UN peacekeeping operations within the final 70 years, with 163 military, police and civilian body of workers from the rustic laying down their lives within the line of responsibility.

According to the UN, of the 3,737 peacekeepers who have died since 1948, 163 were from India, the very best total from any troop contributing country.

India is lately the third largest contributor of military and police body of workers to UN peacekeeping, with 6,693 now deployed in Abyei, Cyprus, Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, the Middle East, South Sudan and Western Sahara.

However, the UN owes India USD 92 million for troops, shaped police gadgets and contingent-owned apparatus as at April 30, 2018.

The UN honored the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers the day before today, paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers around the world.

Currently, greater than 96,000 uniformed body of workers from 124 troop and police-contributing countries serve underneath the blue flag, alongside greater than 15,000 global and national civilian team of workers and just about 1,600 United Nations Volunteers.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the established order of United Nations peacekeeping, the flagship enterprise of the Organization described by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as "a proven investment in global peace, security and prosperity".

"We express our gratitude to the more than one million men and women who have served under the UN flag, saving countless lives. We honour the more than 3,700 Blue Helmets who have paid the ultimate price. And we pay tribute to the 14 peacekeeping missions working around the clock to protect people and advance the cause of peace," Guterres said in Mali to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

The north-west African country is essentially the most dangerous position on this planet to be a UN 'blue helmet' and final year 21 troops serving with the UN Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) misplaced their lives, together with seven civilians.

Upon his go back from Mali, the Secretary-General will preside over the observance of the day on June 1.

He will lay a wreath to honour those who misplaced their lives while within the service of peace and also will officiate at a rite to posthumously provide the Dag Hammarskjold Medal to 132 military, police and civilian body of workers from 37 countries who misplaced their lives in peacekeeping operations all over 2017.

No peacekeeper hailing from India used to be killed while serving in any UN peacekeeping challenge in 2017.

In 2016, two Indian peacekeepers - Rifleman Brijesh Thapa who served with the UN Organization Stabilisation Mission within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Private Ravi Kumar who used to be deployed with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - died within the line of responsibility and posthumously gained the Dag Hammarskjold Medal.

At a time of increasingly more complicated conflicts and rising peacekeeper fatalities, the Secretary-General said, "as we recognise a legacy of service and sacrifice around the world, I am also committed to taking Action for Peacekeeping -- action to make our operations more effective and safer in today's challenging environments".

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the service and sacrifice of UN peacekeepers inspired "us to work harder to support a sustainable peace in some of the world's most complex and challenging places".


Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare said the global group owed a "debt of gratitude" to the brave women and men who risk their lives on a daily basis in service to others.


"We grieve with the families and nations of our fallen colleagues. But beyond gratitude, we owe our peacekeepers all the support we can muster to ensure they are well equipped, well trained and well prepared to complete their missions successfully," Khare said.


The General Assembly established the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers in 2002 to pay tribute to all women and men serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the reminiscence of those who have misplaced their lives in the cause of peace.


The Assembly designated May 29 as the Day because it used to be the date in 1948 when the first United Nations peacekeeping challenge -- the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization -- began operations within the Middle East.
Highest UN peacekeeper deaths in last 70 years from India Highest UN peacekeeper deaths in last 70 years from India Reviewed by Kailash on May 30, 2018 Rating: 5
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