Caritas Hungary provides 5 million HUF worth of emergency aid to those affected by recent storms and floods in the Western regions of the country

The National HQ of Caritas Hungary is donating five million HUF to the regions of the country affected by extreme weather. The humanitarian organisation, in cooperation with the Diocesan Caritas of Szombathely, is providing emergency aid to repair the damage caused by the recent tornado and heavy rainfall, in order for rebuilding works to begin as soon as possible.

Heavy rainfall, caused by the storms that hit our country in recent days, has caused several rivers to overflow, creating massive floods in the western part of the country. Local residents are using sandbags to protect themselves from the rising water, several areas have become difficult to reach. In the village of Narda, tornadoes damaged the roofs of several houses, outbuildings, fences and fruit trees.

The first steps towards supporting recovery have already been taken by the Diocesan Charity of Szombathely: Director István Kiss István delivered a shipment of cleaning products to the affected people. The organisation is constantly responding to emergency requests from the distressed, and the National HQ of Caritas Hungary is supporting the renovation work with a five million HUF emergency grant.

Gábor Écsy, National Director of Caritas Hungary, has personally contacted Caritas representatives and local church leaders in the disaster-stricken region to offer the HQ's rapid assistance and to discuss further cooperation. The Director remarked: "The disaster affected those most severely who were already socially disadvantaged or had no insurance. This emergency aid will, in part, go towards improving their housing conditions.

István Kiss, Director of the Diocesan Caritas organization in Szombathely, gave a detailed report on the current situation: 'It is shocking to see the destruction, but it is very uplifting to experience the unity that has developed in its wake. We are particularly emotional about the village of Narda where the powerful tornado raged, as we have been organising our Caritas summer camps here for decades. The people of the disaster-stricken villages - Narda, Felsőcsatár, Horvátlövő, Vaskeresztes, Pornóapáti, Szentpéterfa - rushed in unity to the aid of the most troubled villages, in many cases prioritizing others over their own problems. We contacted the mayors and pastors of the villages, brought immediate help to start disinfection and offered our infrastructure to help with further relief. Together with our foundation, we are also initiating a fundraising campaign, and we thank everyone for their help in advance".

Further help is necessary to support the affected people. You can contribute to our efforts by making an online donation at karitasz.hu, transferring your chosen amount directly to the Foundation of the Szombathely Diocesan Caritas, or by calling the central donation line 1356, upon which 500 HUF is automatically donated.

Katolikus Karitász - Caritas Hungarica

Images: Dr. Krisztina Glavanits