• The position of the Hungarian government is that help should be taken to where the trouble is, and people in trouble should not be brought to Europe and Hungary,” stated Tristan Azbej. “The center’s task will be to coordinate Hungary’s humanitarian and economic development activities in Chad and the broader Sahel region,” he added.

As he explained, “The Sahel region is the neighborhood of Europe’s neighborhood, and what happens there has an impact on Europe as well. The Sahel is a significant region both for emitting migration and for letting migration pass through, and it faces numerous humanitarian and security challenges.”

He emphasized, “Chad is all the more important because governments and countries in the region are collapsing one after another due to military coups and armed conflicts. There is also the presence of Christian persecution and hunger caused by climate change. In this situation, Hungary has recognized the need to protect those living there and to stop migration from the region. Thus, it has established the first African branch of the Hungary Helps program in Chad, one of the last stable countries in the Sahel region.”

He reported that Hungary launched two humanitarian missions in Chad this year. “In September and October, Hungarian doctors carried out life-saving interventions over more than two weeks in Chadian refugee camps, helping not only the refugees but also the locals. In the coming years, further medical missions are planned, contributing to the locals’ decision to stay.”

“Moreover, experts from Óbuda University provided training to Chadian professionals working in the operation of refugee camps, and at the end of the training, certificates were awarded. This was so successful that the Hungary Helps Agency and the Chadian refugee authority signed a cooperation agreement,” he added.

Furthermore, “staff from the University of Gödöllő assessed how to adapt Hungarian drought-resistant agricultural production methods in Chad and how to capitalize on Hungarian irrigation technology achievements for the benefit of the Chadians.”

Finally, he spoke about the importance of stabilizing Chad, “an island of stability in the region. In neighboring countries, there are civil wars, armed conflicts, and military coups. Therefore, stabilizing the country is crucial to protect Europe from a migration wave of tens or even hundreds of millions,” concluded Tristan Azbej.

Source: MTI