The Covid-19 outbreak is impacting UN security operations globally. Ireland currently has a substantial contingent of troops with UNIFIL (Lebanon) and the Department of Defence have issued a statement on the issue.
Ireland has been part of the UN peacekeeping operation in the Middle East for four decades.
With over 120,000 uniformed personnel serving on global peacekeeping missions the UN Secretary General suspended normal rotations due to Covid-19.
In Lebanon and elsewhere UN peacekeepers have been helping with the Covid-19 emergency distributing supplies to the communities they serve.
https://www.gov.ie/…/af1961-statement-by-the-minister-with…/
https://peacekeeping.un.org/…/unifil-troops-ramp-support-to…
Image: Spanish peacekeeper from the UNIFIL magazine ‘al-janoub’ which highlights the increased role of women as part of the contributing countries missions
Link:
https://unifil.unmissions.org/…/fi…/al-janoub_issue23_en.pdf
Bernard Moffatt
Assistant General Secretary Celtic League (14th May 2020)