April 30, 2020 - 16:57 AMT
Greta Thunberg donates $100000 to combat coronavirus among children

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has donated $100,000 to a campaign targeted at children affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, calling the pandemic a child-rights crisis, Newsweek reports.

The climate activist is working alongside Danish non-profit Human Act on a campaign to help UNICEF, launched Thursday, April 30. The goal is to protect young people from the primary and secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as violence, lost education and food shortages.

Money raised will be put towards soap, masks and other protective equipment, as well as towards providing life-saving information and support to healthcare systems.

Thunberg launched the campaign by donating the prize money she received from Human Act for her climate activism, contributing $100,000 to the cause. Human Act has matched the donation.

There have been instances of hospitalizations and deaths of people under 18, showing young people are not automatically spared the most severe symptoms of COVID-19. Yet children and young people appear to be more likely to develop milder reactions than older generations.

But while children may be less susceptible to the physical health issues of COVID-19, a report from the United Nations published earlier this month said they could be among the biggest victims of the pandemic.