Rome (NEV), 5 February 2024 – This morning the Nave Vulcano, the Navy hospital ship, docked at La Spezia (Italy) harbour with 62 Palestinian refugees, including 32 minors, 14 of them in need of specific medical and health care. Most of them are families who most of them are families who fled to Egypt from Gaza through the Rafah Crossing.
Below is the joint press release of the organisations participating in the initiative, including the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI):
“The war in Gaza affects thousands of children every day. Some of them are coming to Italy in these hours to treat their wounds, accompanied by adults. The girls and boys will go to Italian hospitals that have agreed to take care of them. The Italian government asked the organisations promoting the humanitarian corridors (ARCI, Caritas Italy, Sant’Egidio’s Community and the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy) to host them, pending the process of their recognition as refugees. Our organisations, which have always been committed to humanitarian aid, immediately activated their territorial networks to welcome the children and their families. Hoping for an immediate ceasefire and a permanent resolution of the conflict, we reiterate to the Italian Government their willingness and the urgent need to activate a humanitarian corridor from the Gaza Strip for people in a vulnerable condition”.
As for the Italian Protestant churches, the reception will be managed by FCEI and the Waldensian Diaconia, with the financial contribution of the Waldensian Church’s Otto per Mille. This morning at the Ligurian port, in addition to the FCEI’s and Diaconia’s operators, some members of the local Baptist Church were present.
