One of Pope Francis’s popemobiles is to be converted into a mobile clinic to deliver frontline care to children in Gaza – but not until Israel lifts its humanitarian blockade of the territory.
In his final months, the pontiff directed Caritas, a humanitarian organisation, to refit the popemobile he used for his 2014 visit to Bethlehem into a mobile clinic. The car is now being kitted out with equipment for diagnosis, examination and treatment.
“This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by his holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis” says Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem.
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 15,000 children and displaced around one million people, Unicef reports. Israel has blocked humanitarian aid from entering the strip for more than two months, which the charity said is leaving people in Gaza “without the very basics they need to survive”. Israel has since pledged to expand its ground offensive.
Caritas says that if and when the blockade is lifted, the popemobile will be ready to deliver “lifesaving” care.
“It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza,” said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden.
Image: Caritas Jerusalem
