Following the passing of Pope Francis, His popemobile is being transformed into a mobile health unit for the children of Gaza. It was his final wish for the people to whom he had shown such solidarity throughout his pontificate, especially in the last years, Vatican News reported.
In a press release, Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, wrote that “with the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care – children who are injured and malnourished”.
“This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed”, he added.
The Pope entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, seeking to respond to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly one million children have been displaced. Amid the horrific war, collapsed infrastructure, a mutilated healthcare system and lack of education, children are the first to pay the price, with starvation, infections and other preventable conditions putting their lives at risk.
The repurposed popemobile is being outfitted with equipment for diagnosis, examination, and treatment – including rapid tests for infections, diagnostic instruments, vaccines, suture kits, and other life-saving supplies. It will be staffed by doctors and medics, reaching children in the most isolated corners of Gaza once humanitarian access to the strip is restored.
Caritas Jerusalem, which has long served Gaza’s communities under difficult conditions, is leading the on-the-ground effort. With over one hundred staff members committed to healthcare delivery, the organisation is now building on the Pope’s legacy of compassion and strength whilst bringing his final blessing to the people of Gaza.
Two months into a devastating aid blockade of Gaza, food has run out and people are fighting over water amid relentless bombing, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.
“This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis,” said Anton Asfar, Secretary General of Caritas Jerusalem.
In photos released from the project, the vehicle appears to have been carefully adapted to fit the needs of those most in need.
But “it’s not just a vehicle,” Brune said. “It’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.”
