Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó attended the European Humanitarian Forum on Monday, 20 March in Brussels, Belgium. There, he talked about the aid efforts the Hungarian government has been undertaking since the Russo-Ukrainian war started to help Ukrainian refugees.
He went on to call these efforts the largest humanitarian scheme in Hungary’s history.
Szijjártó also pointed out that over 1.1 million people have fled through Hungary from Ukraine since the conflict began. Those refugees who choose to stay can get help from government agencies to find employment, as well as health and education services. Over 1,300 Hungarian schools and kindergartens have received Ukrainian children, added the Foreign Minister. Figures from the summer of 2022 estimate that around two per cent of Ukrainians seek permanent refuge in Hungary. Szijjárto added:
‘Last year we spent more than €100 million for this purpose [huminatitarian aid for Ukranian refugees] and we will continue our largest ever humanitarian scheme, as long as it is necessary.’
He also emphasised that Hungary is giving so much to aid foreign nationals because of the proximity of the conflict they are fleeing from, and also because of Hungary’s over thousand-year Christian statehood. As the Foreign Minister pointed out, Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world today, with many Christian communities suffering daily injustices around the world. He most likely felt the need to give these justifications for the extent of the Hungarian humanitarian effort to contrast the government’s response to the European migrant crisis starting in 2015.
Hungary has been helping Christians in need long before the start of the Ukraine war. In 2017, the government launched its Hungary Helps programme which aided over a million believers of Jesus, either by helping them stay in their homes or to return home. Around $80 million was spent on these efforts. Minister Szijjártó made the pledge at the event that the humanitarian scheme will go on as long as it is needed.
