Help bring food, water, and basic supplies to refugees in Budapest
Refugees in Budapest are in desperate need of blankets, food, and other basic supplies.
Wellington
You are no doubt aware of the migration issues which are currently gripping Europe. Here in Hungary, the problem is pressing. Barbed wire fences are going up at the border with Serbia in a feeble attempt to stem the tide. Yet when faced with war and persecution in their home countries, a few scratches are a lesser evil to those seeking a safe life in Europe.
There are many debates to be had about how this issue should be handled, what it means for Europe, and what obligations EU member states have to offer refuge to those claiming asylum. Yet all these debates fade into theoretical triviality when gazing at the human faces behind the headlines. Right now at Keleti railway station in Budapest, hundreds of refugees lie on cold stone floors – waiting for a helping hand, waiting for food, for shelter, for the chance to start again after losing everything back home.
We (Roland and Rebecca) are currently in Budapest and are shocked and saddened by what we see at these ‘transit zones’. Hundreds of tired, hungry, and desperate people arrive here every day. Children are sleeping on concrete slabs without so much as a piece of newspaper between themselves and the floor.
A number of wonderful groups and individuals are doing their utmost to help those families currently camped at the railway stations in Budapest, but they need help. The refugees are in desperate need of blankets, food, and other basic supplies.
We are setting the deadline for donations as Monday 7th September – just a few days from now. All money received by that date will be used by Rebecca and Roland to purchase (with the guidance of those groups who have a keen understanding of the need on the ground), food and other supplies for those stuck in limbo in Budapest.
Please donate! These are families just like yours and ours, and right now they are going through the darkest moments of their lives.
Rebecca McKeown's involvement (page creator)
Rebecca is a New Zealander currently living in Budapest, Hungary, and Roland is a Hungarian citizen. Both are students of Central and Eastern European languages, history and politics, and both see the human face of the current refugee crisis on a daily basis as they pass through Keleti railway station in the Hungarian capital. They will use all donations to distribute (in consultation with charitable groups working at Keleti) food, water, blankets, and other basic supplies to the asylum seekers currently sleeping on the concrete floors of the city's transport terminals.
Latest update
Keleti refugees - situation update 5 September 2015
A huge thank you to those who have donated in the past few days, and so generously. Roland and I are truly amazed by the support that has flooded in since we began this fundraiser.
Both of us have spent time at Keleti - observing the situation and helping to distribute water and other supplies. The political situation is very fluid here, and no doubt you will be hearing updates on a daily basis as to where refugees are moving to and why.
The most up to date information we have is that the Hungarian government is sending buses to transport refugees to the border with Austria, after many began walking today from Budapest to Vienna (a 250 kilometre journey).
We cannot be sure what will happen here in the next couple of days before the fundraiser ends, but we want to assure all those who have donated that the money will be put to very good use. There are still many refugees at Keleti and other locations in Budapest, and many more are likely to come.
We also want to note that whilst our original information stated that we will work with Migration Aid in Budapest to distribute supplies purchased with the donations, we are now considering other means of achieving these same ends. Migration Aid (a group of individuals rather than an organisation) are currently under a great deal of pressure at Keleti. While we respect the work they are doing, we do not want to disturb them with unnecessary administration. GiveALittle requires us to have signed letters and other documentation from Migration Aid if we continue to mention them in this fundraiser, and the individuals there are neither able nor willing to sign on any dotted lines at this chaotic time. We want to assure you, in case you notice the removal of Migration Aid's name from this page, that this detail will not affect our use of the donations to this page.
There are two days left to raise money to help those asylum seekers still caught between war at home and politics in Europe. If you know anybody who might like to contribute to this fund, please feel free to pass it on. We will be sharing details and images of the supplies purchased with your kind donations in the coming week.
Thank you again for your support,
Rebecca and Roland.
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