Hungary has announced a humanitarian aid package of 25,000 EUR (10 million HUF) to support victims’ families in Syria, as religious leaders condemn recent violence against civilians in the conflict-torn nation.
Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program, announced the commitment following meetings with leaders of the Syrian Catholic Church who traveled to Hungary to report on the situation of Christians in Syria.
“Hungary offered 10 million HUF humanitarian aid to support the families of the victims, proving that we won’t leave those in trouble alone,” Azbej stated on social media. “Hungary stands with the people of the Middle East!”
The announcement comes amid continued concerns about the safety of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó issued a strong condemnation of the violence.
“We condemn the brutal attacks committed by the Syrian security forces on civilians which have led to mass murder,” Szijjártó declared. While Syrian authorities have promised accountability, he noted that “Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities remain unsafe.”
Azbej emphasized that mere expressions of sympathy are insufficient: “It’s not enough to show compassion – real actions are needed!” He highlighted the essential role of local religious communities in providing assistance and the importance of international cooperation in these efforts.
Syrian Christian leaders have issued their own statement condemning the violence. “The Christian churches, while strongly condemning any act that threatens civil peace, denounce and condemn the massacres targeting innocent civilians, and call for an immediate end to these horrific acts, which stand in stark opposition to all human and moral values,” their joint statement read.
The church leaders called for “swift creation of conditions conducive to achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people” and urged a “transition to a state that… lays the foundation for a society based on equal citizenship and genuine partnership, free from the logic of vengeance and exclusion.”
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze minority, also spoke out against the sectarian violence, warning that “the flames that burn under sectarian slogans will burn all of Syria and its people.”
Hungary’s aid commitment represents a continuation of its policy of supporting persecuted Christian communities worldwide through the Hungary Helps Program, which focuses on providing direct assistance to vulnerable religious minorities in crisis regions.
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