Greta Thunberg has donated her $100,000 prize money from the Human Act Award to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help aid children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Danish non-governmental organisation, Human Act, presented the 17-year-old with the award to recognise her climate change activism, which has seen her lead millions of young people in school strikes, and rebuke world leaders for their lack of action against global warming.
Thunberg has used the money to launch a child-rights driven campaign to support UNICEF's efforts to address the pandemic, and protect children from its consequences.
Watch Greta talk about the initiative below:Human Act have reportedly matched the donation, which now stands at $200,000.
"So today we are launching a joint global funding campaign – Let’s Move Humanity for Children in the Fight Against Coronavirus – to support UNICEF´s efforts to protect and save children’s lives during the corona crisis," Thunberg wrote in an Instagram post announcing her donation.
"The poorest and the most vulnerable people are always the hardest hit by a crisis. Just like the climate crisis, the consequences of the corona pandemic will be most damaging for children in poor countries, in the poorest neighborhoods and for those already in disadvantaged and vulnerable situations."
Proceeds from the initiative will reportedly go towards UNICEF's emergency programmes to fight the outbreak, and provide essential supplies, such as masks, gloves, hygiene kits and protective equipment to healthcare systems. For more information, please check the UNICEF website.
Commenting on the campaign, UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore said:
"The coronavirus pandemic is the greatest struggle the world has seen in generations.
Children and young people are among the most severely impacted by the knock-on effects… so it is only natural that they would want to do something about it. Through her activism, Greta Thunberg has proven that young people are ready to take a stand and lead change in the world.
UNICEF is very pleased that Greta and her supporters have not only chosen to take a stand against this pandemic, but to do so in partnership with UNICEF."
Watch as Greta rebukes world leaders: