The Lake Velence camps will host a total of eleven groups until the end of August, the state secretary said during a visit to the first camp. Many of the children participating in the scheme have lost their fathers in the Ukraine- Russia conflict or have a father who was injured, said Soltész. The children will be arriving from Donetsk, Kiev, Luhansk, Transcarpathia and other parts of Ukraine.

Besides camping at Lake Velence, the programme also involves sightseeing in Budapest, he said. Liubov Nepop, Ukraine’s ambassador-designate to Hungary, called Hungary’s gesture a symbol of Ukrainian-Hungarian friendship.

Hungary, as a neighbouring country, has felt Ukraine’s pain and has decided to help, Nepop said, adding that only countries that help each other can be successful.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.