Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Helpful Hungarians rush to aid of fleeing Ukrainians

Helpful Hungarians rush to aid of fleeing Ukrainians

With bowls of goulash, offers of free lodging and rides to Budapest, or just a hug and kind word, Hungarians have rushed to the Ukrainian border to help refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

For Janos Molnar, one of dozens of Hungarians waiting on Sunday at the Tiszabecs border-crossing with food and aid supplies, the support is a "moral duty".

"I have three empty rooms at home in my nearby town, these people have been through hell," the 50-year-old told AFP while holding a placard written in Ukrainian.

According to police data more than 70,000 refugees have streamed into Hungary from Ukraine since Thursday.

Pulling their suitcases toward the throng of stalls with water and food packages, a weary group from conflict-torn Donetsk and Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine gratefully accepted Molnar's offer.

'This is about humanity'


The invasion triggered a rapid response by ordinary Hungarians with citizens, church charities, and mayors of border towns springing into action.

"When we saw what was happening we set up a Facebook appeal for donations," said Zoltan Havasi, a bike courier who runs the "Budapest Bike Maffia" charity in the Hungarian capital.

Within hours thousands of people delivered canned food, mattresses, sanitary and baby products to a warehouse, said the 46-year-old.

Refugees cross the railway tracks after arriving at Zahonyi railway station close to the border with Hungary


"People wanted to actively help, not just send money," he said before setting off for the border from Budapest in a convoy of a dozen vans.

"There is more than is needed now, but a lot of it is non-perishable," the convoy's co-organiser Akos Toth told AFP as he unloaded the items in the border town of Zahony, part of a human chain of local volunteers.

"It will be useful if or when the situation in Ukraine escalates," said Toth, founder of a children's aid agency called "Age of Hope".

Van driver Attila Aszodi told AFP that he will carry refugees to Budapest on the return ride and "come back tomorrow if needed".

"I saw on the internet that they were looking for drivers with their own vehicles so I drove straight over," said the 44-year-old businessman.

"This is about humanity, anyone of us can suddenly become a refugee, as we saw this week in Ukraine," he said.

A Ukrainian refugee family with young children and other Ukrainians arrive at the border after fleeing the Russian invasion


According to Zahony mayor Laszlo Helmeczi around 5,000 people have arrived by train since Thursday, mostly women and children.

Helmeczi, 50, converted the town cultural centre into a makeshift refugee hostel, arranging 300 mattresses in rooms normally used for concerts and exhibitions.

Temporary protection


The efforts echo a similar humanitarian response in 2015 when Middle Eastern and African refugees and migrants poured through Hungary at the peak of Europe's migration crisis.

Some were stranded for weeks at a train station in Budapest, dependent on aid brought by civil relief groups.

Unlike then the fiercely anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who built a razor-wire fence in 2015 and border detention camps to keep out migrants, has now opened the EU member's door to Ukrainians.

A government decree last Friday exempted anyone arriving from Ukraine from Hungary's tough asylum laws, granting them temporary protection.

Church leader Pater Attila joined dozens of compatriots in the border town of Tiszabecs ready to aid Ukrainians fleeing their war-town country


"Everyone fleeing Ukraine will find a friend in the Hungarian state," Orban said in an interview Sunday.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
×