Often called in to restore and maintain peace in violent-stricken places in the world, the lot of the UN ‘Blue Berets’ is a difficult one. Currently there are 17 peacekeeping missions operating in four continents.Africa has the largest number – seven missions–, Europe has two, Asia and the Pacific three, and Latin America has one in Haiti. The latest mission to be launched is the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Sudan hosts to one of the largest and more respected missions – the African Union-UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur, which has a large Rwandan contingent. Like all UN missions this one too has drawn fire from the feuding local communities, but the Rwandan contingent has won the hearts of the Darfuris by initiating development projects such as schools and other infrastructure.They have won accolades, too, for their courage in the face of fire as they go about their duties, but this has not saved the mission from taking casualties or getting caught up in skirmishes.Sudan also hosts – the United Nations Interim Security Force of Abyei (UNISFA). Abyei is a flashpoint in the protracted border disputed between Khartoum and Juba. Then there is the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO); the UN Operation in Cote d’ Ivoire (UNOCI); the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the UN Mission for the Refereundum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).The worst crisis involving the ‘Blue Beret’ todate was the UN Stabilsation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which was involved in the controversial cholera epidemic last year in the capital, Port au Prince. It killed over 1,000 people while sickening up to 19,000. Nepalese contingents of the "Blue Helmets” were blamed for the epidemic leading to streets riots. The UN ordered an investigation into the matter. The peacekeeping force has been in Haiti since 2004.The accolades Honouring the ‘Blue Berets’ in March this year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said they were a remarkable expression of solidarity, peace and security. He said they were a symbol of hope for communities across the world affected by conflict. "They help build bridges – physical bridges across communities. They reclaim land poisoned with mines and provide free medical care to local people.The costs of the operations and its impact on the local environments where they set up bases have to be considered, too, he said. As it turns out, the UN was already working on a project to "heal the environment” through the strategic report, Greening the Blue Helmets: Environment, Natural Resources and UN Peacekeeping Operations.But the biggest challenge to the integrity and acceptance of the "Blue Berets” by communities where their presence is most needed is the "tiny minority” who harm the people they are sent to protect, thus disgracing their countries and the UN, and undermining the work of tens of thousands of dedicated colleagues across the world, said Ban.