Alastair and Krisztina Hansen, along with their two children Lili (14) and Jake (10) live in Tata, four hours from the Ukrainian border, where they work for mission organisation Operation Mobilisation (OM).
Primarily the couple work with Roma kids living in a ghetto, however OM has sent Bus4Life — a specially adapted bus used by the organisation throughout Europe — to one of the border crossing areas to assist local churches distributing simple supplies such as tea and coffee, driving people to accommodation, providing a listening ear and praying for people.
Mr Hansen — who previously worked as a photographer in New Zealand — left for the border on Tuesday to help distribute bedding and supplies for refugees as well as capture photos and video to report what was needed to help.
"Everyone in Hungary is in a ‘How can we help’ mode," he said.
"People are heading to the border to assist those refugees coming into the country, which are thousands every day."
The Ukraine had large populations of Hungarians and these were now returning home to Hungary, as well as Ukrainians escaping the fighting.
Churches, charities and humanitarian organisations had mobilised to get food donations to and across the border, collect funds and to support those coming through, Mr Hansen said.
"OM is also looking at the children and organising art supplies for the kids to use while they wait ... playing with the kids, just to kick a soccer ball around — often the simple things are the most important."
OM would look at accommodating refugees in the organisation’s offices and workers’ homes as many refugees were expected to head to the region.
Mrs Hansen, who speaks Hungarian and Slovakian as well as understands some "closely related languages", will head to the border at a separate time to assist with translation.
- By Shannon Thomson
