Low-cost airline Norwegian and UNICEF will send an aircraft fully loaded with emergency aid and school supplies to help Syrian children living in refugee camps.
A series of initiatives are also underway allowing UK passengers to make a donation.
In November, Norwegian’s UNICEF aircraft will take off for Amman, Jordan, a couple of hours’ drive from one of the largest refugee camps on the Syrian border.
The initiative between Norwegian and UNICEF is aimed at helping some of the two million children affected by the brutal civil war in Syria.
Norwegian chief executive Bjorn Kjos and several employees will join the emergency aid flight, and passengers in the UK are also being encouraged to make a donation.
A ‘Help us fill a plane!’ website has now been launched allowing UK passengers to make a donation.
UK passengers flying from Norwegian’s four UK airports (London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh) to destinations including Greece, Sicily, Cyprus and Hungary can also carry aid in a separate bag of up to 25kg for free.
Passengers are also able to make a donation when booking their flights online with a simple click allowing them to donate £3, £5, £10 or £15 – the initiative has already raised more than £75,000.
Kjos said: “We are eager to help the refugee children of Syria and our partnership with UNICEF is allowing us to provide aircraft and crew to carry emergency aid and school supplies.
“This is an important cause and we encourage all of our passengers and customers to make a donation to help prevent a lost generation of Syrian children.”
Represented in more than 190 countries around the world, UNICEF is the world’s leading humanitarian and development agency working for the rights of every child.
Both in Syria and neighbouring countries, the organisation has a responsibility to give children temporary educational facilities and creating safe areas for them where they can play and be treated for possible traumas.
The goal is that Syria’s children will one