easyJet, the UK’s largest airline and operator of Europe’s No. 1 air transport network has announced its support of an emergency appeal with UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organization, to help the children of Syria who are caught up in the current conflict.

The emergency appeal, which launches on all easyJet flights from today, is part of easyJet and UNICEF’s ‘Change for Good’ partnership. The onboard donations from passengers will be collected on 43,822 flights during the six week campaign across the airline’s pan-European network of over 600 routes across more than 30 countries.

The number of refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict is expected to grow, reaching over 1 million, half of which are children. All of the money raised through passenger donations will help provide essential clothes, blankets and life-saving healthcare to the hundreds of thousands of children struggling to survive extreme winter temperatures in the refugee camps which surround the country.

Money collected onboard will also give those children who have had to flee their homes and are currently living in the camps, the chance to get back to school to continue their education. This will help those traumatised by the conflict to deal with the events they have seen and experienced.

Passengers can donate by putting their spare change or notes of any currency into ‘Change for Good’ pouches on any of easyJet’s flights during the appeal.

  • Just £1 could provide a child with a hat and pair of gloves to protect them from sub-zero temperatures.

  • £2.20 could provide a child with a school bag (exercise book, pen, pencil, eraser, colouring pencils etc) for school.

  • Just £3 could buy a blanket to keep a baby warm when they sleep at night in the freezing cold.

Carolyn McCall, easyJet’s Chief Executive said:

""As the UK’s largest airline, we are in a very strong position to make a real difference to the lives of so many children in Syria with our emergency onboard appeal. We are really proud to be supporting one of the most well-known and well respected children’s organisations in the world – UNICEF, and everyone from pilots, cabin crew and engineers work hard to ensure its success.

""We are sure that our passengers will really get behind this worthy initiative.""

David Bull, UNICEF UK’s Executive Director said:

""We have all been shivering from the bitter winter weather over the past few weeks, but for those children who have had to flee the fighting in Syria and are now living in refugee camps, the cold is a matter of life and death. They urgently need our help to make it through the coldest winter for ten years.

""Since the launch of the Change for Good partnership, easyJet passengers have already shown tremendous generosity. Let’s hope they can do it again so we can keep the innocent children caught up in the Syrian conflict warm, safe and healthy in a time of desperate need.""

The Syria children’s emergency collection will run from Friday 1st February until Friday 15th March. The collection forms part of the wider Change for Good partnership between easyJet and UNICEF, which has raised over £1million through passenger donations for UNICEF’s life-saving work for children since July 2012.

easyJet is committed to playing its part to help, and will be providing a number of seats on flights to Jordan to help UNICEF staff and experts to reach the region who are helping to coordinate efforts to deal with the humanitarian impact of this emergency.

The easyJet campaign comes in the same week that UNICEF UK Ambassador Ewan McGregor adds his voice to UNICEF UK’s wider Syria appeal in a television advert aired on Wednesday.

For further information please contact:

Andrew Mcconnell on Andrew.mcconnell2@easyjet.com or 01582 525252.

For further information about UNICEF please contact:

Liz Jones on lizj@unicef.org.uk or 0207 375 6096

Notes to Editors

About easyJet:

easyJet operates Europe's No. 1 air transport network with a leading presence on Europe's top 100 routes and at Europe's 50 largest airports.

easyJet flies on more than 600 routes between over 130 airports in over 30 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport, more than any other airline. 

The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22 per cent less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route.

About UNICEF:

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation for children, working in over 190 countries to help every child realise their full potential. We work with partners to transform the lives of children everywhere. UNICEF provides health care, water, nutrition, education and protection for children. The most vulnerable and disadvantaged children are our priority. As champion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we work to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF UK raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work and advocates for lasting change for children everywhere. We are a UK registered charity, supported entirely by voluntary donations. We do not receive any money from the UN. For more information, please visit unicef.org.uk

About ‘Change for Good’:

‘Change for Good’ is UNICEF’s global initiative run in partnership with leading airlines all over the world. The airline partners include: American Airlines, Qantas and Cathay Pacific as well as easyJet in the UK. In total, ‘Change for Good’ globally has raised over £53 million for UNICEF’s work with children.