The Sahel region of Africa, with its rapidly growing population, is facing an increasing number of major challenges. Desertification, water and food shortages, slow economic development, political instability, armed conflict, extremist movements - including jihadist terrorism targeting Christians and other religious communities - threaten to plunge the region into a permanent humanitarian crisis of historic proportions. All of this, in addition to human suffering, could result in tens of millions of people migrating to Europe.
Recognising that the problems in the Sahel could lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, the Hungarian government is supporting Chad, one of the few stable countries in the region, through the Hungary Helps Program.
The basic principle of the Hungary Helps Program is to help locally. In line with this, the Hungary Helps Agency opened its headquarters in Chad in January 2024 to provide humanitarian aid and development in the Sahel region. In Chad, the aim is to implement a complex humanitarian and development partnership that contributes to the protection of the livelihoods of not only refugees from abroad, but also local communities, through sustainable solutions. The complex approach reflects the principle that migration can be prevented if its causes are addressed locally and managed with local organisations, by assessing local needs and responding to local demands.
With these long-term goals, Hungary can contribute to making Africa a land of opportunity rather than a land of danger.
