Latest news with #PeterBrune
Daily Tribune
06-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Francis's popemobile converted into clinic for Gazan children
AFP | Vatican City See Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his popemobiles to be converted into a children's clinic in war-torn Gaza, Catholic charity Caritas said yesterday. The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor. The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic. 'With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare -- children who are injured and malnourished,' said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden. Brune told AFP that Sweden's Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 aged 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential frontline healthcare to Palestinian children. It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors. 'This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis,' said Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem.
Japan Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Francis' popemobile converted into clinic for Gazan children
Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his popemobiles to be converted into a children's clinic in war-torn Gaza Strip, Catholic charity Caritas said on Monday. The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor. The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic. "With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare — children who are injured and malnourished," said Peter Brune, secretary-general of Caritas Sweden. Brune said that Sweden's Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential front-line health care to Palestinian children. It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors. "This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis," said Anton Asfar, secretary-general of Caritas Jerusalem. It was not clear, however, if or when the aid agency's hoped-for humanitarian corridor would open. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid political deadlock over how to build on a two-month ceasefire in its war against Hamas, which was sparked by the militants' October 2023 attack. On Monday, Israel's security Cabinet approved an expansion of military operations that would lead to what an official described as the "conquest" of the Palestinian territory. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Sunday that at least 2,436 people had been killed since Israel resumed its campaign on March 18, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,535. Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.
South China Morning Post
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Pope Francis donated a Popemobile to serve as mobile clinic for Gazan children
Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his Popemobiles to be converted into a children's clinic in war-torn Gaza, Catholic charity Caritas said on Monday. Advertisement The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor. The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem, West Bank, and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic. 'With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare – children who are injured and malnourished,' said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden. Brune said Sweden's Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 aged 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential frontline healthcare to Palestinian children. Advertisement It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors.
Jordan Times
05-05-2025
- Health
- Jordan Times
Francis's popemobile converted into clinic for Gazan children
Pope Francis waves to the crowd, from his popemobile, as he arrives at the Manger Square before presiding over an open-air mass on May 25, 2014 outside the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank Biblical town of Bethlehem (AFP photo) VATICAN CITY — Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his popemobiles to be converted into a children's clinic in war-torn Gaza, Catholic charity Caritas said on Monday. The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor. The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic. "With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare — children who are injured and malnourished," said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden. Brune told AFP that Sweden's Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 aged 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential frontline healthcare to Palestinian children. It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors. "This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis," said Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem. It was not clear, however, if or when the aid agency's hoped-for humanitarian corridor would open. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid political deadlock over how to build on a two-month ceasefire in its war against Hamas, which was sparked by the militants' October 2023 attack. On Monday, Israel's security cabinet approved an expansion of military operations that would lead to what an official described as the "conquest" of the Palestinian territory. The health ministry in Gaza said Sunday that at least 2,436 people had been killed since Israel resumed its campaign on March 18, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,535.
The National
05-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Pope Francis's popemobile to become health clinic for Gaza children
It was one of his final wishes, the Vatican's official media outlet said on Sunday. The vehicle, which was used by the late pontiff during his 2014 visit to the Middle East, is being outfitted with diagnostic and emergency medical equipment. He entrusted the initiative to Catholic aid organisation Caritas Jerusalem in the months before his death. READ MORE: Large convoy of Belgian army vehicles spotted near Scottish town "This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed," Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, said. "It's not just a vehicle," Brune added. "It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza." It comes as Israel has approved plans to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time. Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly 50% of Gaza. Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war. Israel's brutal war on Gaza has killed more than 52,000 people, many of them women and children.
