Pope Francis’ vehicle to be converted into a mobile clinic for children in the Gaza Strip

A Mitsubishi vehicle previously used by Pope Francis during his 2014 trip to Bethlehem will be repurposed as a mobile clinic for children in the Gaza Strip, fulfilling a wish he expressed during his lifetime, according to the Vatican.

Caritas, the Vatican’s humanitarian organization, has reported that “work has already begun” on adapting the small white vehicle.

Peter Bruneel, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, shared with AFP that this initiative was inspired by Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius, who believed the vehicle should serve a meaningful purpose. “He discussed it with the Pope, who agreed,” Bruneel noted.

Caritas emphasized that the aim is to provide immediate medical assistance to those lacking basic services, while also safeguarding their rights and dignity. The organization highlighted that “almost one million children are displaced as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate.”

Once the humanitarian corridor to Gaza is established, the vehicle, which will be operated by Caritas Jerusalem, “will be prepared to deliver essential care to children.”

The mobile clinic will be outfitted with suture kits, syringes, oxygen supplies, and vaccines kept in a small refrigerator. It will be staffed by a driver and a team of medical professionals.

“This vehicle symbolizes His Holiness’s love and support for the most vulnerable, sentiments he consistently expressed amidst the ongoing crisis in Gaza,” remarked Anton Safar, Secretary General of Caritas Jerusalem.

On the eve of his passing, during his Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis denounced “the dramatic and abhorrent humanitarian situation” in Gaza, reiterating his call for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages.

Following his death, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas praised him as “a steadfast friend of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights,” pointing out that “he recognized the Palestinian state and allowed the Palestinian flag to be raised at the Vatican.”