Sister Lucía Caram secures ambulances for Ukraine

BarcelonaJust weeks before the fourth anniversary of the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Santa Clara Convent Foundation, led by Sister Lucía Caram, has appealed for donations to bolster the humanitarian corridor that will be sent to the war-torn country to coincide with the anniversary. Expedition number 42And this time they have set themselves the goal of acquiring at least 15 vehicles, mainly ambulances, but also pickups and 4x4 vehicles. Sister Lucía Caram's mission is to encourage, above all, the Catalan business sector. For this reason, she was accompanied by the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, and the president of the Barcelona Trade Fair, Pau Relat, at the press conference to present the new project.

Caram described the current situation in Ukraine as "the worst moment of the war," due to accumulated fatigue and Russia's continuous attacks on energy infrastructure, which force millions of citizens to survive without electricity or heating in freezing temperatures. This Tuesday, 70% of Kyiv was left without power due to the latest Russian bombings. Therefore, in addition to ambulances and other vehicles, the upcoming humanitarian expedition also aims to transport generators, as well as defibrillators and emergency medical backpacks.

"I encourage the business world to collaborate so that the ambulance convoy can bring the AP-7 highway to a standstill," said Pau Relat. There are various ways to do so: you can donate available vehicles, generators, or defibrillators; contribute financially to their purchase—via bank transfers or Bizum—or even drive one of the vehicles to Ukraine. Each ambulance costs €15,000—or €20,000 if it's fully equipped; generators cost around €1,100; defibrillators, €830; and emergency backpacks, €380. To participate in the expedition by driving a vehicle, a contribution of €2,000 per vehicle is required to cover travel costs.

So far, the foundation has acquired seven ambulances, two pickups and a 4x4 vehicle. The expedition will depart on February 20th from the Sagrada Família, following a blessing by Cardinal Joan Josep Omella, and will be led by an ambulance "paid for with money from Pope Francis," who was a personal friend of the Argentine nun based in Manresa. The expedition will transport five Ukrainian soldiers who have received medical treatment in Catalonia and, on the return journey, will take another five, thanks to the foundation's collaboration with CatSalut (the Catalan Health Service).

The Ukrainian consul in Barcelona, ​​Oleg Grabovetskyy, who described Sister Lucía Caram as "the Catalan patron saint of humanitarian aid in Ukraine," emphasized that the war in Ukraine has already surpassed the 1,418 days that World War II lasted between the European Union and the Soviet Union.