Hungary to continue Ukrainian aid programme as long as needed, says minister

Hungary is conducting its largest-ever humanitarian aid programme in history to support war-torn Ukraine and will continue it as long as it is needed, the foreign minister said in parliament on Tuesday.

Responding to remarks in the national assembly by Liliana Grexa, the representative of the Ukrainian national minority in Hungary, Péter Szijjártó said the Hungarian government had made clear its position immediately after the outbreak of the war. It condemned the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, stood by Ukraine and will continue to do so and provide all available help to people who have been forced to flee the war, he said.

Szijjártó noted that some 750,000 refugees had arrived in Hungary directly or indirectly from Ukraine. Hungarian authorities have catered for all of them, Szijjártó said, adding those planning to stay in the country over a longer period of time are receiving help in finding a job and in the schooling of their children. “This is our moral and legal duty,” he said.

Szijjártó noted that

from Hungary 2,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid had been delivered to Ukraine and deliveries would continue as long as they are needed.

The Hungarian government has in addition offered a support package worth 37 million euros to help improve the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. The package includes rebuilding a school near Borodyanka (Borogyanka) in partnership with the Ecumenical Charity once it receives the permits from Ukrainian authorities. It also includes transferring 44 minors treated in local hospitals in the Chernihiv province to the Budapest Heim Pál Hospital depending on the security situation which is unpredictable because of the airstrikes.

Hungary has also offered to provide medical treatment for injured soldiers without putting any limit on their number, should Ukrainian authorities ask for this form of help.

Hungary has also made preparations to transport mobile homes to Transcarpathia for internal refugees and has offered state scholarships to 1,000 Ukrainian students in Hungarian higher education, the foreign minister said.