A number of children living in New Zealand have been facing tougher times, as the economic recession has left many children poor. The previous year had witnessed an increasing number of children being admitted to hospitals for suffering from conditions, which usually affected children living in poor conditions.

It has been reported by the Children's Social Health Monitor's study that the number of children suffering from such conditions had witnessed a hike of 2,000, in contrast to 2007. It was also found that most of the brunt was borne by children belonging to the Maori and Pacific Islander ethnicity. The conditions that ended up affecting the children were usually related to breathlessness and other respiratory diseases.

Talking about the prevailing situation and the increased reports of children suffering from condition related to poverty, Daryl Evans from the Mangere Budgeting Services Trust said that it was pretty obvious to see that the number of children being affected by the conditions had increased during the economic downturn. He added that the trust was attending to families that were coming in daily to receive some assistance for basic foods.

He added that it had been reported on a number of occasions by schools that children were being sent without any food.