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Refugee Support Centre to be Established with the Help of Taiwan
Taipei Representative Office provides $1.5 million in funding for HIA’s work with refugees
In addition to its internationally significant humanitarian work in Ukraine, Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) continues to support refugees coming to Hungary as well. In order to provide efficient and complex assistance to those refugees who temporarily or permanently decide to settle in Hungary, a centre providing integrated services will be established in Budapest with the support of the Taipei Representative Office. Thanks to the $1.5 million donation from the people of Taiwan, HIA staff and volunteers will be able to provide tangible aid, information, social support, employment counselling, assistance in finding accommodation as well as training and community programmes in a downtown location.
The operational details of the planned centre and specifics of the cooperation were presented at a press conference on 18 May by Shih-chung Liu, Representative of Taiwan in Hungary and László Lehel, President-Director of Hungarian Interchurch Aid who signed the donor agreement in front of the press at the headquarters of HIA.
Similarly to Hungarian Interchurch Aid’s aid programme in Ukraine, its work in Hungary has also reached a milestone. The centre – scheduled to open in the second half of June – will provide not only provide in-kind donations (like food, hygiene products, clothing, childcare equipment, etc.) but also all kinds of information for refugees needing to cope with living in Hungary, as well as legal, spiritual and integrational support.
Main focus of the centre will be on providing long-term assistance to those planning their future in Hungary. Giving a helping hand to refugees trying to access education, healthcare, the labour market, vocational training for adults, HIA staff will also assist them with childcare and language learning programmes. Special attention will be paid to the needs of unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities and the elderly. Believing in the power of community, Hungarian Interchurch Aid will also organise recreational, educational, community outreach and community building programmes, with a focus on social inclusion and talent development.