At least 4,500 Christians were killed on the continent last year.Continue reading
The five-day mission of Hungary Helps in Nigeria has concluded with important results and a pledge for more humanitarian aid, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, responsible for programs to help persecuted Christians, said on his Facebook page on Sunday.
Checking in from a Christian refugee camp in Benue state, Tristan Azbej detailed that during their mission, they visited sites in Nigeria where the Hungarian government, in cooperation with local churches, provided humanitarian aid through the Hungary Helps program and visited persecuted Christian communities.
He added that
the mission had reached the active operational zone of the Boko Haram terrorist organization: in the town of Maiduguri, they delivered food aid to internal refugees and victims of a flood disaster.
One of the highlights of the visit was the inauguration of a center for the training of 400 nurses in the Onitsha township, he added.
In addition to the humanitarian field work, Azbej mentioned that he attended government meetings together with MEP György Hölvényi, Goodwill Ambassador of Hungary Helps.
In meetings with the Nigerian Minister of Humanitarian Affairs alongside Christian and Muslim religious leaders, they discussed humanitarian aid, development cooperation, promoting peaceful cooperation between different religions, and preventing migration towards Europe.
The government will continue its humanitarian programs in Nigeria. “In the coming weeks, we will support a Hungarian medical mission worth 23 million forints (56,475 euros), as well as the drilling of new drinking water wells,” he announced. We must express our compassion and support for the persecuted Christians, the State Secretary said, stressing that it is better for everyone if we take aid to where the trouble is, rather than bringing people in trouble to Europe.
The Hungary Helps Program is a specific national model that strengthens international humanitarian engagement. Through the program, Hungary is helping people in need to stay in their home country, and if possible, to return to it. Through humanitarian aid provided under the Hungary Helps Program, the government has so far helped half a million people to stay in or return to their home country. The program also aims to help persecuted Christians around the world, especially in the Middle East.
Featured photo via Facebook/Hungary Helps – Magyarország segít