The purpose of the assistance provided for the most populous African country as part of the Hungary Helps Programme is to alleviate the consequences of the armed conflict that also affects local Christians.

The aid offered in the wake of the meeting of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Nigerian Christian leaders in May in Budapest is in line with the fundamental principle of the Hungarian government’s humanitarian policy which asserts that help must be taken where there is trouble, rather than bringing problems here.

Within the framework of the Hungary Helps Programme, the Hungarian government will support the humanitarian projects of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria with aid worth HUF 324 million, and will donate HUF 162 million to the Protestant community Church of Christ in Nations of Nigeria. The church will use the aid for rehabilitation activities targeting communities that were the victims of genocide. The Hungarian aid which seeks to reinforce local communities will help members of the Christian communities concerned to remain in their native land, thereby reducing the pressure of migration on Europe.

In providing humanitarian assistance, the Hungarian government firmly believes that help must be taken where there is trouble, instead of bringing problems here. Since its inception in 2017, the Hungary Helps Programme – which operates on the basis of this fundamental principle – has enabled some 35,000 people to opt for remaining in their native land, instead of migration.

Hungary’s efforts have also been recognised by international partners, including US President Donald Trump who, during his meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, specifically praised Hungary’s anti-immigration policy and its efforts made in the interest of persecuted Christians.

(MTI)