The United Nations Security Council has been briefed by the head of the UN's peacekeeping mission in Mali, whose job it is to stem growing insecurity there.

In a virtual meeting of the UNSC, 15 ambassadors took part remotely to discuss the situation in Mali, where 15,000 peacekeepers are based amid continuing violence.

Here and in other peacekeeping operations around the globe, the UN faces difficulties as soldiers who would normally be relieved and rotated home are stuck in place.

Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from the UN headquarters in New York, US.