Peace Operations

The United States paid more than $6.6 billion to support United Nations peacekeeping operations in Haiti, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Somalia between fiscal years 1992 and 1995. Slightly more than half of these costs were incurred by the Defense Department, which sent troops and equipment to support the missions in these countries. The State Department's costs were about $1.8 billion, while costs for the U.S. Agency for International Development--the lead agency responsible for providing humanitarian assistance, including food donated by the Agriculture Department--were about $1.3 billion. The Departments of Justice, Commerce, the Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services reported costs totaling about $91 million to support peace operations.

GAO found that: (1) from FY 1992 through 1995, the incremental cost reported by U.S. government agencies for support of U.N. peace operations in Haiti, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Somalia was over $6.6 billion; (2) the United Nations has reimbursed the United States $79.4 million for some of these costs; (3) from FY 1992 through 1995, the Department of Defense's incremental costs to support the four operations were about $3.4 billion, the State Department's were about $1.8 billion, and the Agency for International Development's were about $1.3 billion, including $556 million for commodities and transportation; and (4) the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services reported incremental costs of which totaled about $91 million.