Greta Thunberg donates 100,000 euro to aid flood relief efforts in Bangladesh, India

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has pledged to donate 100,000 euro from prize money to flood relief efforts in Bangladesh and India.

In a series of posts on her official Twitter handle, the 17-year-old Swede stated: "Right now millions are suffering from extreme flooding fuelled by the climate crisis in India and Bangladesh - already hit by the devastation of cyclone Amphan and COVID-19.

"My foundation will donate €100,000 prize money to BRAC, Goonj, Action Aid India and Bangladesh. I'm supporting these NGOs—working tirelessly and in desperate need of funds—to make sure help reaches communities affected as soon as possible."

Greta added: "If you're able, please consider donating to the relief effort. Visit their websites for details, even the smallest amount helps."

Greta Thunberg. File photo

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.

Asif Saleh, executive director of BRAC Bangladesh, said that funds are exhausted, and support is urgently needed to help those suffering on the ground, according to a release issued on the official website of BRAC in this regard.

"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." Asif said.

"BRAC is on the ground in all 64 districts in Bangladesh and is working closely with the government to reach the people in the most need," he added.

The unprecedented floods in 2020 have left hundreds of thousands homeless, said Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh.

"The monsoons are not yet over and we are already facing a third wave of flooding. Climate change induced loss and damage is increasingly taking its toll, with women and children suffering the worst in terms of displacement, loss of food security, and loss of livelihood, leading to social unrest and resulting in increasing gender-based violence and child marriage," she said.

Bangladesh is one of the most resilient countries in the world and the people are used to living with floods, but not with floods three or four times in less than a year, she said adding that the families must be compensated to rebuild their homes and restore their livelihood in a climate-proof way.

"We demand climate justice and we need support," she concluded.