A total of 918 peacekeepers from 20 different countries currently serve with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), according to UN data for peacekeeping missions.
The biggest source of uniformed personnel is Britain, which contributes with 272 soldiers, while Argentina, Slovakia and Hungary follow suit, with 265, 157 and 77 soldiers respectively.
Other countries contributing with personnel in the peacekeeping force on the island are Serbia (48), Australia (15), Paraguay (14), Chile (14), Ireland (12), Ukraine (12), Bosnia and Herzegovina (8) and India (7).
Less populated are troop-contributing missions from Montenegro, Austria, Croatia, China, Italy, Lithuania, Canada and Brazil.
Since the establishment of UNFICYP in 1964, 181 peacekeepers have lost their lives during their service on the island.
For its part, Cyprus contributes to the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with a two-man strong personnel.
UNFICYP arrived in Cyprus in March 1964 after inter-communal fighting broke out. The mandate of the force is renewed every six months by the Security Council. UNFICYP’s mandate is to contribute to the restoration of normal conditions and entails the facilitation of an increasingly wide range of civilian activities.
Source: CNA