565 Indian Peacekeepers, Including 53 Women, In South Sudan Awarded UN Medal Of Honour

New Delhi: Over 550 Indian peacekeepers, including 53 women, serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), were honoured for their dedication and commitment to protecting civilians and supporting peacebuilding efforts in the conflict-affected country.

A total of 565 Indian Blue Helmets and 464 Rwandan peacekeepers received the UN Medal of Honour at a ceremony in South Sudan’s Malakal city, UNMISS said on Monday. There were 53 women among the 565 Indian Blue Helmets, it said.

Blue Helmets refers to military personnel, police officers, and civilian experts serving under the operational command of the United Nations peacekeeping forces.

The peacekeepers were recognised for their efforts in “protecting civilians through patrols, community engagement, veterinary camps, women’s self-defence training, combating gender violence, and improving humanitarian access”, the UN body said.

UN Mission in South Sudan Force Commander Major-General Junhui Wu said every medal awarded celebrates the “courage and resilience of our brave peacekeepers, who demonstrate the highest standards of discipline, operational effectiveness, and teamwork in a challenging environment”.

Reacting to the honour, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations congratulated the Indian contingent. “Indian Blue Helmets have consistently upheld the highest standards of professionalism in all their spheres of operation,” the mission said in a social media post.

India is the second largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, after Nepal.

It currently contributes more than 4,200 military and police personnel, including 155 women, across missions in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara.

Nearly 180 Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives in the line of duty, the highest number among troop-contributing countries.

Last week, on the occasion of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, who served with UNMISS, were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their sacrifice in the line of duty.

The Dag Hammarskjold Medal is the highest official honour awarded by the United Nations. It is given posthumously to military, police, and civilian personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in UN peacekeeping operations.

In another recognition for India, Major Abhilasha Barak was named the recipient of the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. Serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Barak was honoured for her outreach work with women and girls during her deployment in the West Asian nation.

Barak is serving with the Indian Battalion as Commander of the Female Engagement Team in UNIFIL and is also the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the Indian Army.