Papamobile becomes a mobile clinic for Gaza: Pope Francis’ last gift to the children of the strip

The last gift that Pope Francis wanted to do before his death is intended for the children of Gaza. The pontiff, deeply affected by the suffering of the Palestinian population, asked that The Papamobile used on his journey to the Holy Land of 2014 is converted into a mobile clinicready to offer basic medical care to the little ones among the victims of the conflict.

The initiative was entrusted to the Caritas of Jerusalem, with the operational and financial support of Caritas Sweden. The project aims to bring direct assistance to the areas where the collapse of the health system makes it almost impossible to receive adequate treatments. «With the vehicle, We will be able to reach children who do not have access to health care today, injured and malnourished children. This is a concrete and life -saving intervention At a time when the Gaza health system has almost completely collapsedSaid Peter Brune, General Secretary of Caritas Sweden.

Papamobile, a vehicle made to guarantee the mobility of the pontiff in public situations, will now be equipped as a real mobile medical unit. As explained by the Caritas of Jerusalem, the vehicle will be managed by a driver and a team of doctors and will be equipped with Equipment for diagnosis, exams and basic treatments, including quick tests for infections, suture kit, syringes and needles, oxygen supplies, vaccines And a refrigerator to keep the medicines.

Once it will be possible to access the strip through humanitarian corridors again, the vehicle will enter the neighborhoods most affected by the crisis. But the choice of allocating the papamobile also has a powerful symbolic meaning: not only is it the vehicle used during one of the first apostolic trips of Pope Francis, but He had remained in Bethlehem as a symbol of peace and hope. Now, it will be a tool to save lives.

“This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by its holiness for the most vulnerable, which has expressed throughout the crisis,” said Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem. “It’s not just a vehicle: It is a message that the world has not forgotten the children of Gaza». Asfar also relaunches an appeal to the international community: «Our work in Gaza is a testimony of our unwavering commitment to the health and well -being of the community, even in the most difficult conditions. For this we ask for a ceased and lasting fire ».

Pope Francis has repeatedly reiterated his concern for Gaza, even in the moments when his health was particularly precarious. His last public words were an appeal against war. This last act, concrete and full of meaning, is the coherent fulfillment of a pontificate marked by its attention for the populations in war.