Dependent people in large, low-income households: Urban poor in Auckland, New Zealand

Pacific Island immigrants, Maori and other poor people in New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, have been identified as one of the country's significant vulnerable groups. They rely mainly on the national welfare system for their basic livelihood, although many supplement this with income from the black market or other illegal sources.

Many of them live in crowded conditions, with two or more extended families often occupying a single home. With little money available for food, they tend to consume unbalanced diets that are high in calories but lacking other essential nutrients. So their nutritional status is generally poor, even when the quantities of food consumed are adequate.

Migration from the islands has been spurred by degraded land, repeated flooding, lack of disaster insurance and efforts to eliminate cultivation of illegal crops. But recent changes in urban rental subsidies and a crackdown on the black market economy are making conditions even more difficult for those who flee to the city.

Vulnerable people - who and why
Victims of conflict: Returnees in Guatemala
Marginal urban population groups: Pensioners in Baku, Azerbaijan
Poor households in vulnerable livelihood systems: Pastoralist in Sahelian zones
Migrant workers and their families: Seasonal migrants in Benin
At-risk social groups: Isolated minorities in Viet Nam