Hungarian government helps poor with firewood

The government has allocated a total HUF 5 billion (EUR 13.2m) to local governments to buy firewood and coal and distribute them among the neediest families, a state secretary of the interior ministry said on Thursday.

Miklós Dunai said the heating materials had arrived at the recipient families by February 15.

The official said 2,374 municipalities had received an average HUF 2.1 million for the purpose. He added that the government had budgeted the same amount for the programme for the next heating season, too.

Dunai also said that in the current heating season local governments had been allocated an extra HUF 76 billion to help with their services such as public lighting, running creches and kindergartens, providing schoolchildren with meals, and operating seniors’ homes in view of soaring energy prices.