The Hungarian government has decided on providing further humanitarian aid for Christian churches in Syria. The aid will concentrate on alleviating the crisis situation that has emerged due to armed conflicts and on reconstruction efforts. The purpose of the aid is to help local communities in need to remain in their native land, thereby reducing migration to Europe as the Hungarian government fundamentally believes that help must be taken where there is trouble, rather than bringing problems to Europe.
Thanks to the Hungary Helps Programme, since 2017 some 35,000 people have been able to return to their homes in countries in the Middle East devastated by the Islamic State. As part of the Hungary Helps Programme, the government has decided on providing further assistance: It will provide aid worth HUF 162 million for the Syrian Orthodox Church and HUF 145,180,038 for supporting the humanitarian activities of Trappist-Cistercian nuns in Syria still inflicted by bloody conflicts.
Thanks to this latest aid offered by Hungary, new residential buildings could be built in the city of Homs mostly destroyed in fierce armed clashes, and a new communal space could be created in Latakia, thereby contributing to creating the conditions that are necessary for people to stay in their native land.
Strengthening the internal cohesion of communities is crucial from the respect of the fight against migration as in the absence of such retaining factors, far more people would start heading for Europe. This is one of the reasons why Hungary supports the initiatives of Christian churches in Syria aimed at social cooperation.