Greta Thunberg Donates €100,000 to Aid Flood Relief in Bangladesh And India

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has revealed a donation of EUR 1 million, which she raised on July 20 after winning the Gulbenkian Award for Humanity.

The Greta Thunberg Foundation will contribute the sum to humanitarian programs to tackle the global and environmental crises and to assist communities experiencing the worst effects of the situation, with the assistance of BRAC and ActionAid in Bangladesh.

According to the BRAC website, the money will go to ngos offering immediate aid to citizens suffering from the humanitarian crisis triggered by continuing severe monsoon flooding in both countries, reportedly impacting more than 9.6 million people in the region.

Asif Saleh, the executive director of BRAC Bangladesh said, "Whole families are living on the sides of roads, without drinking water, food or access to sanitation. 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."

This flood also happened during a time of simultaneous disasters faced by populations in India and Bangladesh. In March, Cyclone Amphan damaged crops, buildings and more than 260,000 homes in both nations, while the Covid-19 lockdown led to about a third of Bangladesh 's population slipping below the poverty line.

"Bangladesh is one of the most resilient countries in the world, and we are used to living with floods, but not with floods three or four times in less than a year. There is a limit to how much we can cope with and adapt to. These 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," said Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh.