Swedish youth and environmental activist Greta Thunberg has announced to donate €100,000 for flood relief efforts in Bangladesh and India.
The money will go to organisations providing direct relief to people suffering from the humanitarian crisis caused by on-going extreme monsoon flooding in both countries. In Bangladesh, BRAC will get €25,000 to run relief efforts for the flood-affected people.
The donation comes after Greta was awarded €1 million for winning the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, announced last Monday 20 July.
The Greta Thunberg Foundation will donate the full sum to charitable projects combatting the climate and ecological crisis and supporting people facing its worst impacts, particularly in the ‘Global South.’
Announcing the donation, Greta said the climate crisis is urgent and that people, particularly in the Global South, are suffering devastating impacts already on Wednesday.
“Millions of people in South Asia have been severely affected by recent flooding, at a time when many had already lost so much from Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan. International media are largely ignoring this devastation, but we must do everything possible to directly support those suffering on the ground,” she said.
“I am incredibly privileged to be in a position to be able to donate such sums of money through my foundation and we are supporting these organisations to make sure it reaches communities affected by the flooding as soon as possible,” Greta added.
BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh lauded Greta’s effort terming it ‘time befitting.’
"Support is urgently needed to help those suffering on the ground. The unusually prolonged flooding, combined with the fact that many communities are still recovering from Cyclone Amphan and the country is in the grip of a global pandemic have combined in a perfect storm of factors which has seen millions of people lose homes, livelihoods and thousands of acres of croplands vital for food security. This fund will help us reach assistance to the affected people,” Saleh said.
