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6th May 2025
03:59pm BST
One of Pope Francis's final wishes was to turn the Popemobile into a mobile health clinic for children in Gaza.
The Popemobile was manufactured especially for the Pope's visit to Bethlehem in 2014.
During the visit, he made an unscheduled stop to pray before the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem. He was surrounded by a group of young Palestinians during the visit.
Speaking about the project, Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, said:
"Caritas Jerusalem is running 10 clinics in Gaza but no humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza since March 2nd, more than two months, without any convoys being allowed in.
"We want to see this also as an opportunity to alert the world about this horrible situation, saying ‘you must allow in humanitarian aid’, and the children are those who are suffering.
"It is both a symbolic dimension and also very practical, and it means this vehicle of hope can come to the children instead of them having to move to the clinics.”
The mobile unit will have rapid infection tests, vaccines, suture kits, and diagnostic tools. A medical team will run the mobile health clinic to bring vital healthcare services to children in Gaza.
The clinic will reportedly be ready within the next two weeks. However, Brune confirmed that it needs to be authorised by the Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
Caritas said the mobile health clinic will be deployed to support communities that don't have "functioning healthcare facilities once humanitarian access to Gaza is feasible."
Before his passing in April, Pope Francis would call the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza every day.
"He used to call us at 7 p.m. every night. No matter how busy he was, no matter where he was, he always called," George Anton told NPR.
"He would ask us how we were, what did we eat, did we have clean water, was anyone injured? It was never diplomatic or a matter of obligation. It was the questions a father would ask."
Just days before his passing, the Pope told members of the Church of the Holy Family that he was praying for them.
"He told us not to worry as he would always be there for us. He was with us until his last breath."
According to UNICEF, 15,000 children have been killed and nearly one million children have been displaced since October 2023.
