UNEF

UNEF stands for the United Nations Emergency Force, a designation used for UN peacekeeping forces deployed in the Middle East during the mid-20th century. The term most commonly refers to two separate missions created in response to regional crises in 1956 and 1973.

The first mission, UNEF I, was established after the Suez Crisis of 1956. It was authorized by United Nations General Assembly resolution 1001 and supported by a Security Council mandate to separate Egyptian and Israeli forces, supervise the cessation of hostilities, and establish a buffer in the Sinai Peninsula. The force operated as a multinational peacekeeping body in a demilitarized zone and was intended to reduce the risk of renewed fighting. UNEF I remained in place until the 1967 Six-Day War, after which it was withdrawn at the request of the involved states.

A second force, UNEF II, was created in 1973 following the Yom Kippur War. Its purpose was to implement disengagement agreements between Israel and Egypt, supervise a ceasefire, and maintain buffer zones within the Sinai region. UNEF II operated through the late 1970s and was withdrawn in 1979 after the subsequent peace processes, including the Egypt–Israel peace treaty.

Legacy and context: UNEF helped shape the modern approach to UN peacekeeping, emphasizing consent of the parties, impartiality, and limited use of force in support of ceasefires. Although there is no ongoing UNEF mission today, the concept influenced later arrangements in the region, including separate multinational or regional security efforts and subsequent UN or non-UN monitoring activities in the area.