MEDIA RELEASE
17 March 2015

Purple Cake Day Emergency Funds Go To Children In Vanuatu

New Zealand based charity Purple Cake Day has opened its emergency fund to directly aid children affected by the devastation of Super Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu.

In partnership with UNICEF New Zealand, the Purple Cake Day Emergency Fund will provide food, water, shelter and school supplies for some of the estimated 60,000 children in Vanuatu that are now without these basic needs.

Purple Cake Day’s 2015 campaign kicks off this Friday the 20th March with its Global Day of Action, and the charity is calling on its supporters and fundraisers to put in an extra effort. As well as funding its established project partners working in Haiti, Nepal, and Kenya, funds raised through Purple Cake Day 2015 will go to Vanuatu through UNICEF New Zealand’s emergency response effort.

Purple Cake Day Founder, Emily Sanson-Rejouis says, “We understand that conditions in Vanuatu are dire in many areas, with thousands of children and their families now homeless.

“These children are vulnerable, facing a high risk of disease from lack of clean water, and food shortages.

“Purple Cake Day is all about kids helping kids and with this humanitarian disaster so close to home we feel compelled to do what we can through our events to bring some relief to the children in crisis in Vanuatu.”

Incredible stories of survival and human spirit are emerging in Vanuatu just days after Cyclone Pam hit. Amy, the mother of two young children spoke to the UNICEF team and said, "The children need food, shoes, clothing. They need school supplies and stationery". Cyclone Pam washed all these things away.

UNICEF NZ reports that some schools in Vanuatu have been completely destroyed while others are being used as evacuation centres, creating a need to support children’s education.

In addition to providing basic living supplies, part of Purple Cake Day’s Emergency Funding will go towards UNICEF’s School-in-a-Box - kits that contain everything needed to set up an immediate, makeshift classroom for 40 kids, anywhere.

UNICEF New Zealand Executive Director, Vivien Maidaborn, said, “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Purple Cake Day following the devastating impact of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu.

“The children affected have already suffered an immense trauma and we want to mitigate against any longer term effects around the increase of measles or children missing out on education.

“The support generated by Purple Cake Day this Friday will enable us to help those children that need it most. For this, we are incredibly grateful,” Ms Maidaborn concluded.

Donations direct to Purple Cake Day can be made online at www.purplecakeday.org

ENDS

For more information:

http://www.purplecakeday.org/

https://storify.com/UNICEFNZ/cyclone-pam

https://www.unicef.org.nz/

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