Since the outbreak of the war, we have been helping refugees directly - from person to person - with our volunteers through our charity groups in Hungary and Transcarpathia. We directly help those arriving in our country at the Barabas refugee centre near the border, in the BOK hall in Budapest, and in Transcarpathia at refugee shelters, hospitals, soup kitchens, orphanages and for families with young children and elderly people left on their own. Since mid-June, our Integration Centre in Budapest has been helping to support the long-term work of refugees wishing to settle in our country.
CARITAS HUNGARY’s grants in numbers:
- at the Barabas base until mid-August , we have supported nearly 13,000 refugees (food and water, health care, Covid test, medicines, onward travel arrangements, legal information)
- at the BOK hall, since the first service, we have provided food and water to approximately 8,000 refugees, and supported their onward travel
BOK hall (photo by Wittmer-Besze Erika)
- Thousands of people have been accommodated nationwide with the support of Caritas groups, currently 645 (with diocesan assistance, in parishes, community centres, private hostels, families)
- more than 560 families have already received help for their long-term stay in Hungary at the Integration Centre (emergency assistance, rent, work, psycho-social assistance)
- 50 refugee children were on holiday at the Caritas Camp in Balatonakali
- 300 refugee children, who starting school in Hungary receive school bags and school supplies before the school year starts
- a total of 214 tonnes of material aid worth 308,162,938 HUF was sent across the border
Since the beginning of the war, the hard-hit Transcarpathian Hungarians have received thousands of refugees. The kitchens run by the Diocese of Mukachevo Caritas are now being supported by Caritas Hungary with a new aid consignment. Maintaining the 13 soup kitchens was already no easy task, but now it has become almost impossible due to the increased prices of durable food. Caritas Hungary has been a regular supporter of the kitchens in Caritas Mukachevo area, providing them basic materials and other non-cooking foodstuffs since the war began.
Caritas Hungary considers it important to support not only the refugees arriving in Hungary, but also the internally displaced persons who wish to survive these difficult times in Ukraine. At the same time, the aid organisation has for many years made it a priority to support the Hungarian minority living across the border, who still preserve their mother tongue and culture.
Since the beginning of the war, a total of 214 tons of material aid worth 308,162,938 HUFs have been delivered to Transcarpathia. Every day, two truckloads of basic foodstuffs for cooking are delivered to them to keep the soup kitchens running during this very difficult period. So far, the Caritas has donated 8 minibuses and vans to the Diocese of Mukachevo Caritas, which can be used to transport the non-perishable food and the prepared meals.
In the Upper Tisza region, the Caritas Hungary Medical Mission will provide medical aid in the areas of Nagyszőlős, Huszt, Visk, Técső, Aknaszlatina, Nagybocskó, Gyertyánliget, Rahó, Kőrösmező:
- supporting refugee shelters and soup kitchens to help feed internal refugees,
- support for hospitals to provide medical care in institutions where wounded people arrive,
- supporting the most vulnerable children by helping orphanages relocated from war zones to Transcarpathia;
- and through our local charity groups, food parcels for families with many children and elderly people who are left alone with no support from their families.
This is the quickest and most direct way to help where people in Transcarpathia are most in need.
Msgr. Gabor Ecsi
Director
Caritas Hungary