The Vatican announced that the popemobile will be converted into a mobile children's hospital and will be donated to the Gaza Strip as the last wish of Pope Francis. In a gesture of solidarity and closeness to the most vulnerable, the repurposed vehicle will be equipped with vital medical supplies, including rapid tests for infections, vaccines, and diagnostic tools.
Once access to humanitarian aid is restored in the area, the popemobile will have doctors and healthcare staff to care for children in the most remote corners of Gaza. Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, emphasized that this vehicle will allow reaching injured and malnourished children who currently lack medical attention, helping to save lives amidst a collapsed healthcare system in the region.
For his part, Anton Asfar, Secretary General of Caritas Jerusalem, expressed that the vehicle represents the love and closeness shown by the Pope towards the most needy during the crisis. The popemobile has been carefully adapted to meet the needs of children in Gaza, serving as a concrete response to the terrible humanitarian crisis affecting nearly a million displaced children in the region.
In his final months, Pope Francis entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, reaffirming his conviction that children are not just numbers, but faces, stories, and names. This act of solidarity adds to the Pope's long history of compassion for the most needy, once again demonstrating his commitment to caring for the most vulnerable.
