Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

The Green Party’s commitment to fully settle the care and support workers’ pay equity claim within the first 100 days of a new government is news 65,000 workers have been waiting to hear.

The Greens today announced their commitment to repealing the Government’s changes to the Equal Pay Act, restoring the original law and settling the care and support workers’ claim. They also committed to pass legislation to settle the claim if that is what it takes.

“This announcement sets the benchmark on what is needed for pay equity to become a reality for care and support workers in New Zealand,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“The commitment is welcome and we are pleased the Green Party has accepted the proven undervaluation and that this settlement must occur quickly.

“The party’s commitment to a 30 percent pay equity uplift would put $350 a week in the pocket of a full-time care and support worker. The average worker, who works 62 percent of full-time hours, would get $220 a week more.

“This will be life changing for workers who are doing it tough in a cost-of-living crisis. Many are back on the minimum wage because of the failure to update their previous settlement.

“The funding of over $1 billion annually to settle this claim must also be seen as an investment in this critical workforce as our population ages. Care and support workers are the backbone of the health and disability system.

“Restoring pay equity also makes economic sense. PSA analysis based on Treasury’s own model shows reinstating all the cancelled pay equity settlements would grow the economy by $13.5 billion over four years, create around 13,000 jobs, and lift an estimated 11,000 children out of poverty.

“The Labour Party said this week it will reverse the pay equity changes and put care and support workers at the front of the queue. This must be a full funded settlement. Care and support workers have waited long enough.

“The choice this election is now clear between parties who value the work of care and support workers and all underpaid women, and the parties in government who sacrificed women to make their Budget numbers work.

“The PSA urges voters to change this government and elect a new government that delivers for women.”

Sarah Strid, a care and support worker and PSA member said, “I’ve done care work for years and I know what this work is worth. And we proved it. The claim is ready to go. So, hearing the Greens say they will fully settle it in the first 100 days means a lot to me. It’s what needs to happen.”

Statement re undervaluation of care and support workers

29 September Opening of books must force Opposition parties to commit to pay equity

The PSA and the NZ Nurses Organisation reveal publicly the precise historic undervaluation of care and support workers showing they have been underpaid by between 24 percent and 38 percent.

Pay equity poll

26 September Pay equity poll: voters say make the fiscals wait, not women!

PSA analysis of economic and fiscal upside to restoring pay equity

9 September Restoring pay equity would boost income of 91,000 families by $300/week – PSA analysis

23 August Govt’s axing of pay equity cost jobs & GDP growth – PSA analysis

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

Unions, care and support providers, and community organisations have written an open letter to opposition parties asking them to commit to settling and fully funding the care and support workers’ pay equity claim within the first 100 days of the next Government based on the agreed undervaluation.

The open letter, signed by 29 organisations including all the unions involved in the claim, the provider peak bodies, and a number of employers, states that the claim was all but agreed when the current Government gutted the Equal Pay Act.

“This letter, signed by peak bodies in the care and support sector and unions, shows the widespread support for urgently settling this claim.”

“Care and support workers have waited too long already. The comparator roles are agreed, the level of undervaluation is agreed, the only action left is funding and settling the claim quickly,” said PSA Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley who was a negotiator for unions in the claim.

“Unions and employers spent hundreds of hours on the claim. They agreed the comparator roles. They found care and support workers were undervalued by between 24 and 38 percent.

“Settling this claim should be a top priority for the next Government in the first 100 days. Care and support workers are the backbone of our health system.

“A settlement only works if it is paid for. These services are mostly funded by the Crown. Providers cannot be left to find the money.

“Parties should build the settlement on what is agreed, and they should say now whether they will.”

The letter says any settlement must come with a commitment to fund:

• the direct costs of the pay equity settlement
• the flow-on pay adjustments across the wider care workforce, including those needed
• to maintain pay differentials that recognise qualifications, experience, clinical responsibilities and professional accountability

The letter says these costs must be built into the funding models for the services concerned, so providers do not absorb them.

Settling the claim would change the lives of the women who do this work. It would also benefit the wider economy. PSA analysis of Treasury modelling shows reinstating it would grow the economy by $13.5 billion over four years, create around 13,000 jobs, and lift an estimated 11,000 children out of poverty.

New Zealanders back it. A recent Talbot Mills poll found that New Zealanders would be prepared to delay the Government’s return to surplus by a year to restore pay equity than oppose it, 49 percent to 28 percent.

Signatories:

1. Access
2. ActionStation
3. Aged Care Association New Zealand
4. Aotearoa Women’s Watch
5. Atamira Platform
6. Auckland Action Against Poverty
7. AUT Social Transformation Research Institute
8. BPW New Zealand
9. Carers New Zealand
10. CBCT
11. E tū
12. Disabled Persons Assembly NZ
13. Filipino Care Workers United
14. Home and Community Health Association
15. Migrant Action Trust
16. Mōkihi Hauora
17. National Council of Women of New Zealand
18. New Zealand Disability Support Network
19. New Zealand Nurses Organisation
20. NUPE
21. NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi
22. PSA Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
23. Rodger Wright Harm Reduction Network
24. Te Mana Taki Havora Health Action Trust
25. Te Roopu Taurima
26. Te Wāhi Wāhine o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Women’s Centre
27. Totara Farm Trust
28. Working Women’s Resource Centre
29. YWCA

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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Error notification for Household Income and Living Survey (HILS) data for year ended June 2025

29 September 2026

Kia ora koutou,

I am writing to our customers and stakeholders to advise you of errors impacting the following releases and subsequent customised data requests:

• Child poverty statistics: Year ended June 2025 and Child poverty statistics: Year ended June 2025 – technical appendix
• Household income and housing-cost statistics: Year ended June 2025
• LGBT+ population of Aotearoa New Zealand: Year ended June 2025.

The errors relate to how information about people’s highest qualifications was collected and processed and there are flow-on effects to household income-based statistics.

We are aware of the importance of robust indicators and apologise for this error.

Since identifying the errors, we have worked through the data to investigate the causes, assess their impact, implement necessary corrections, and quality assure the updated data.

Error notification for Household Income and Living Survey (HILS) data for year ended June 2025 has more detailed information.

Stats NZ recognises the impact of errors 

The data and insights provided by Stats NZ are critical to New Zealand policy and decision-makers so we are letting you know about this at the earliest opportunity.

A review into the error is underway and lessons learned will be incorporated into our quality assurance processes to reduce the risk of similar issues in the future.

Ngā mihi nui,

Abby Johnston

General Manager, Statistical Delivery, Social and Environment

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Source: Save the Children

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains have swept away houses and buildings in Western Nepal, forcing nearly 750 families to leave their homes and killing more than 20 people, according to the government.

The floods and landslides come just a month after flash floods tore through Northern Nepal, killing at least 1,400 people with about 5,700 still missing.

Save the Children in Nepal is working with partners to distribute emergency aid including shelter kits, comprising tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats and rope, and hygiene kits to the affected areas.

Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal, said:

“Children are extremely anxious. They saw the devastating destruction in Northern Nepal one month ago, and are now seeing their homes being washed away.

“Floods in Nepal are crippling livelihoods, disrupting education and causing fear for children who need security and safety.

“The heavy rain is forcing children and their families to flee to higher ground or move into emergency shelters. Roads and bridges have been damaged, hampering efforts to reach communities.

“Save the Children is working with partners to deliver essential aid to people who have been displaced, including shelter and hygiene kits, in the first phase of the response, but, as we have seen before, their needs will be long-term.”

In areas impacted by the massive flash floods on 26 August in Northern Nepal, Save the Children has so far reached more than 7,500 people, including about 2,300 children, with emergency assistance and support.

The humanitarian and child rights organisation has set up child-friendly and temporary learning spaces, providing children with a safe place to play and learn, and is working alongside local authorities and partners to strengthen protection measures including increased monitoring and surveillance, including at checkpoints, and access to psychosocial support and case management services for children and their families.

Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The child rights organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.

New Zealanders wanting to support Save the Children’s emergency response in Nepal can donate here: https://childrens-emergency-fund-colombia.savethechildren.org.nz/

About Save the Children NZ

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: Alliance Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

Monday 28th September 2026

The Alliance Party has announced the first installment in its Trade Policy, which will modernise Aotearoa New Zealand’s international trade regime, protect local industries, and take a stand for human rights around the world.

Alliance Party trade spokesperson and candidate for Wellington North, Josh Harford, says international trade is rapidly becoming a race to the bottom.

“The craven, unrestrained obsession with maximising profits serves only to destroy local industry and bring misery on populations elsewhere in the world. Manufacturing in Aotearoa New Zealand once comprised one-quarter of all economic activity. Now, it is barely one-tenth.”

The policy includes protectionist policies around manufacturing and industry to support economic sovereignty.

“In the past three years, we have seen factory after factory close their doors, usually in order to shift production overseas. This has damaged the economies of our regional centres, worsened unemployment, and deepened generational poverty for many. We cannot be a fully-employed nation when we ship so much economic potential offshore,” Mr Harford says.

The policy includes guidelines for fair and managed trade, rather than free trade.

“Fair trade goes hand in hand with equality. Sweatshops around the world employ women and children in forced labour conditions, exploiting poverty conditions and societal barriers.”

Mr Harford says the Alliance is not opposed to international trade, and recognises that Aotearoa New Zealand is a small market often at the end of a long and expansive supply chain.

“We do not believe in shutting off from the world, but right now we profit from modern slavery, outsource environmentally damaging manufacturing that we still rely on, all while undermining our economic and political sovereignty.”

“We believe in a diversified local economy: one that will take measures to protect critical industry, keep it on shore, and expand it,” Mr Harford says.

Mr Harford took aim at existing regulations:

“We have a very weak trade framework, designed to maximise corporate profits with little regard for either domestic industry or human rights. Without a humanitarian approach to international trade and robust modern slavery legislation, we are rapidly becoming a global outlier.”

“This government has shown great vigour in fast-tracking legislation and using urgency for policies that harm Aotearoa New Zealand. The Alliance Party would bring that gusto to updating our modern slavery legislation and cracking down on exploitation in our trade settings.”

Mr. Harford also observed that humanitarian trade policy benefits domestic workers just as much as those overseas:

“By cracking down on bad actors and unethical practices, we remove the financial incentive to exploit. This will help to restore industry and manufacturing on our shores. We can be a powerhouse of industry, but only if we have the right settings in place to protect those industries.”

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Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

• 49% would support delaying the return to surplus by one year to restore pay equity
• 46% would support delaying the net debt target by two years
• A majority of Labour, Greens and Opportunity voters support delays
• National voters split 39% for and 39% against delaying surplus; only ACT voters strongly opposed

New Zealanders’ support for restoring pay equity extends to a willingness to see governments adjust their fiscal targets, if necessary, to make provision for the cost of doing so, a new Talbot Mills poll commissioned by the PSA shows.

The National-ACT-New Zealand First coalition estimates that it had saved $12.8 billion over four years through its decision in May last year to scrap pay equity claims under urgency, without warning and without consultation. Coalition parties have suggested that it would be unaffordable for a future Government to settle these claims and the legislative framework that supported it.

“We reject the suggestion that fiscal targets are more important than paying women workers what it’s proven they are worth and this poll shows New Zealanders agree,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“We’ve previously identified savings that could bring the net fiscal cost down well below previous fiscal estimates.- Plus, the next Government can have revenue measures or use some of its Budget operating allowances to contribute to the cost.”

Even on the most conservative assumptions, where the full gross cost of restoring pay equity flows through the Government accounts, the impact of this would be:

• to delay the operating balance (as measured by OBEGALx) coming back in surplus by just one year, from 2028/29 to 2029/30; and
• to push out the date for achieving the target of bringing net core Crown debt down to 40 percent of GDP (‘the 40 percent target’) by a modest two years from 2032 to 2034.

“These are fiscal adjustments that New Zealand can easily afford,” said Council of Trade Unions National Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges.

“What’s more, this polling shows that New Zealanders strongly support the Government making these choices, if needed to restore pay equity.”

Far more New Zealanders would be prepared to delay the Government’s return to surplus by a year to restore pay equity than oppose it, 49 percent to 28 percent.

Support for delaying the 40 percent debt target by two years also leads voter sentiment, 46 percent to 29 percent.

This poll adds to growing public pressure on parties contesting the election to make a tangible commitment to restore pay equity (poll details below and attached).

“Voters are ahead of the politicians,” said Ansell-Bridges. “The next Government must right the wrongs of the past and deliver pay equity for the 180,000 predominantly female workers whose pay rise was sacrificed to make the Budget numbers work.

“New Zealanders understand that paying people their true worth for the jobs they do matters, and that it should come ahead of the fiscal targets. They are prepared to wait a little longer for a surplus to see it done.”

The poll shows it’s not just voters on the left. National voters are evenly split on delaying the surplus, and NZ First voters are more likely to back a delay than oppose it. Only ACT voters are clearly opposed.

Women are more likely to support delaying the surplus for pay equity (53 percent) than men (45 percent). On the debt target, support leads opposition in every age group, from 51 percent to 24 percent among 18-29 year olds to 42 percent to 32 percent among those aged 60 and over.

“The evidence for restoring pay equity is strong just like the public support,” said Fleur Fitzsimons.

“PSA analysis shows reinstating it would grow the economy by $13.5 billion over four years, create around 13,000 jobs, and lift an estimated 11,000 children out of poverty.

“The Government has defended scrapping pay equity on fiscal cost grounds. This poll shows many voters are willing to accept a short delay in the current fiscal targets to get it back.”

Earlier polling points the same way. A PSA-CTU Horizon Research poll in September last year found 42 percent opposed the pay equity changes, and a RNZ Reid Research poll in June last year found 43 percent against the overhaul.

“Restoring pay equity is the right thing to do, morally, fiscally and economically. The care and support settlement is ready to implement and should be resolved in the first 100 days,” said Fitzsimons.

Poll details

Talbot Mills Research nationwide online survey commissioned by the PSA. Sample size 1894, adults aged 18 and over. Maximum sampling error ±2.3% at the 95% confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted between 10 and 17 September 2026. Full survey report attached.

Questions

For the last few years, the Government has been spending more than it has been bringing in. This is currently expected to flip – called returning to surplus – in 2029. Would you support delaying the return to surplus by one year, until 2030, in order to restore pay equity for New Zealand women?

• Yes – 49%
• No – 28%
• Unsure – 23%

The current Government has a goal of getting net Government debt below 40% of New Zealand’s gross domestic product. Current forecasts suggest that this goal might be achieved in 2032. Would you support delaying the achievement of the 40% target by two years, until 2034, in order to restore pay equity for New Zealand women?

• Yes – 46%
• No – 29%
• Unsure – 25%

Previous PSA analysis on fiscal and economic benefits of pay equity

9 September Restoring pay equity would boost income of 91,000 families by $300/week – PSA analysis

23 August Govt’s axing of pay equity cost jobs & GDP growth – PSA analysis

Analysis of the fiscal impact of restoring pay equity out of existing revenue (and with no offsetting savings taken into account) was performed using Treasury’s Budget 2026 fiscal strategy model (FSM).

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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Source: Save the Children New Zealand

Protection measures for girls need to be intensified across flood-affected areas of Nepal amid growing concerns over trafficking, violence, exploitation and child marriage one month after the country’s devastating floods, Save the Children said.

Uncertainty over permanent housing and livelihoods is putting girls at risk one month after the flash flood that killed at least 1,400 people with about 5,700 still missing. [1].

About 1,000 people remain in communal holding centres, where girls have reported concerns about privacy and safety due to the movement of unfamiliar people through shared spaces. Some girls are living in tents in camps on the periphery of towns with inadequate lighting at night, creating a safety risk. Other families have moved into rented rooms, often far away from their communities.

Save the Children is working alongside local authorities and partners to strengthen protection measures in displacement sites, including increased monitoring and surveillance, awareness raising on gender-based violence and child marriage, and expanding access to psychosocial support and case management services for children and their families.

The organisation is also supporting police at checkpoints to identify and respond to signs of trafficking and exploitation affecting children, adolescents and women, helping ensure those at risk are connected to social protection services and specialist support.

Weakened community protection due to displacement as well as the loss of education, livelihoods and incomes is compounding the risks for girls in Nepal where more than a third of girls are married as children, according to the 2021 census. [2].

Girls married as children are more likely to leave school, experience early pregnancy, face restrictions on their decision-making, and experience multiple forms of gender-based violence throughout their lives.

Trafficking is also seen as a risk in Nepal. More than 11,500 women and girls were reported missing to police between 2024 and 2025, with nearly one in four remaining untraced, according to the National Human Rights Commission. Information from trafficking survivors indicates that 41% were trafficked for prostitution and more than a third – 37% – were girls. [3].

Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal, said:

“One month on, thousands of children are living with the impacts of that torrential wall of water and debris. The waters have gone, but fear and uncertainty remain.

“Girls are telling us they do not feel safe at displacement sites, while many children are grieving the loss of parents and loved ones. Others remain out of school, and every day out of class is a protection risk.

“Adolescent girls are often among the first to lose access to education and among the last to regain it. Protecting their rights, safety and opportunities must remain central to the response and recovery.

“These risks do not emerge from the disaster alone. They are shaped by existing gender inequalities, unequal access to resources and decision-making, and social norms that often place a disproportionate burden on girls and women during crises.”

Girls who assume increased caregiving responsibilities often face pressure to prioritise unpaid care work over education and extended periods out of school reduce the likelihood of re-enrolment. Combined with displacement and loss of income, this can increase risks of child marriage, exploitation and other forms of gender-based violence.

Sukmaya-, 18, volunteers with Save the Children and leads play-based activities for children alongside psychosocial counsellors who are supporting her and others who have been displaced. Sukmaya-‘s mother and sisters were killed when the floods tore through her village.

Sukmaya- said: “If school reopened, we could study again and meet our friends. Being back in school would help us move forward.”

Save the Children has so far reached more than 7,500 people, including about 2,300 children, with emergency assistance and support.

Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.

New Zealanders wanting to donate to Save the Children’s emergency response in Nepal can do so here.

Photos of the destruction and response

About Save the Children NZ

Save the Children works in 100 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

Captions

• CH11661100_Buildings surrounded by mud and debris after flash floods swept through the area.JPG – Buildings surrounded by mud and debris after flash floods swept through the area.
• CH11661088_Save the Children staff prepare to distribute emergency supplies for flood-affected families in Nepal.jpg – Save the Children staff prepare to distribute emergency supplies for flood-affected families in Nepal.
• CH262512_A child colours a drawing of a strawberry at a Child Friendly Space in Nuwakot (1).jpg – A child colours a drawing of a strawberry at a Child Friendly Space in Nuwakot.

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Source: Child Poverty Action Group

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) welcomes elements of the Alliance Party’s proposed Universal Child Benefit policy that align with recommendations in CPAG’s 2026 election manifesto for reducing child poverty.

CPAG has consistently argued that every child should have access to adequate income support, regardless of whether their parents are in paid work or receiving income support.

We have also long advocated for an end to discriminatory treatment of children based on their parents’ employment status, and for family support payments to maintain their value over time through appropriate indexation.

The Alliance proposal reflects several of these principles, including recognising that all children should be supported, that caring for children is valuable work, and that reducing child poverty should be a central goal of government policy.

“CPAG is pleased to see political parties engaging seriously with solutions to child poverty,” said executive officer Lyn Amos.

“New Zealand’s child poverty rates are the result of policy choices, and reducing them requires deliberate policy action. We welcome proposals that strengthen income support for children and address the barriers faced by families on low incomes.”

CPAG notes that while there is significant overlap between the Alliance policy and CPAG’s recommendations on income support, reducing child poverty requires action across a range of areas, including housing, health, disability support and education.

Adequate income support is essential, but it is one part of the broader package of measures needed to ensure children have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

“As always, CPAG is non-partisan. We assess policies according to their potential to improve outcomes for children. We encourage all political parties to commit to evidence-based measures that reduce child poverty and uphold New Zealand’s obligations under the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.”

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Source: Alliance Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

Wednesday 23rd of September.

The Alliance Party has further elaborated on its social security and welfare policies, with a focus on the elimination of child poverty.

Alliance social security spokesperson and West Coast-Tasman candidate Sara Dyatlova Murphy said the policy provides greater detail on the previously announced Universal Child Benefit, with a broader social justice focus.

“No child should grow up in poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the fact is that children are not being paid poverty benefits or poverty wages – that happens to their caregivers” Ms Dyatlova-Murphy said.

The Alliance policy emphasises the status of children as citizens in their own right, not merely the dependants of adults. Ms Dyatlova-Murphy said all government policy must consider the impact on children as members of our society with their own rights and interests.

“The same level of care given to the impact on women, on the environment, on tangata whenua, when auditing government policy should also apply to some of the most vulnerable in our community who can not directly impact government through voting – children and youth.”

Ms Dyatlova-Murphy says the policy has been shaped by the work of the Child Poverty Action Group, whose research has kept child poverty on the national agenda for more than thirty years.

“CPAG have spent decades documenting what poverty does to children in this country, and making the case for change when it wasn’t popular. Their work has shaped our thinking, and we’re grateful for it.”

CPAG’s 2026 election manifesto challenges every party to commit to solutions for children. The Alliance policy is our answer to that challenge.

“There is no reason a child in this country should grow up in poverty and insecurity. Children have a claim over the shared resources of our society, and until all children are provided with what they need to thrive we will never realise our full potential as a nation.”

“If we care for the next generation, every New Zealander will benefit.”

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Source: Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign

In an open letter released today, fifteen members of the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign coalition are calling out both the National and Labour parties for their irresponsible positioning on tax, and for failing to engage honestly with the public about the revenue challenges we face, in the lead up to the 2026 General Election.

“Both of the major parties, one of which will lead the next government, are running campaigns that perpetuate negative attitudes towards tax, at a time when we desperately need to raise more revenue to fund the things we need to live good lives – like safe staffing in our hospitals, building more public housing, and tackling our infrastructure deficit,” said Kate Stone, Better Taxes campaign manager.

“The National Party is campaigning on having “no new taxes”. The Labour Party has committed to a Capital Gains Tax limited to investment property, but is now buying into National’s anti-tax messaging by trying to minimise it in the public conversation and refusing to commit to any other tax changes.”

“This positioning is irresponsible given the fiscal challenges, outlined by the Treasury and IRD, that are posed by an aging population, increasing health expenditure and the need to respond to climate change and associated extreme weather events.”

“And it is out of step with where the public is at. Polling shows people support increased spending on public services and a recent poll indicates that two thirds would be willing to pay more tax for better healthcare,” said Stone.

“We cannot cut, cut, cut our way out of this situation – the organisations that have signed on to this letter already see the impact of the current underinvestment in public services on our communities.”

“We need to grow tax revenue, but that does not mean taxing ordinary, hard working whānau more. Relative to most countries we like to compare ourselves with we’re a low tax country, they collect more revenue and have better public services than we do. But our tax system is unbalanced and not every part of society is contributing its fair share: working whānau pay income tax and GST, but we do not tax wealth and capital gains in any meaningful way. That needs to change if we’re going to gather the revenue we need, and gather it more fairly,” said Stone.

Comment from NZ Nurses Organisation

“Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, supports the open letter challenging the major political parties’ positions on tax during the election campaign. Chronic underfunding of the health system has caused nationwide staffing shortages, ageing facilities, and an inability to meet community need — resulting in avoidable harm and death. Last financial year, hospitals ran a $1 billion deficit just trying to stand still, while the wider health system deficit is estimated at $4-5 billion in immediate unmet need. Meeting current demand and building a health system fit for the future will require all political parties to commit to tax reform so that every New Zealander has access to high-quality public health care.” NZNO President, Anne Daniels.

Comment from Child Poverty Action Group

“Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) exists to advocate for policies that reduce and ultimately eliminate child poverty and we wholeheartedly support the Better Taxes Coalition open letter. It is very clear to us that New Zealand needs sufficient and sustainable public revenue to meet our obligations under the Child Poverty Reduction Act – now and in the future.”

“We see every day the consequences of underinvestment for children and their families: rising material hardship, inadequate incomes, housing stress, unequal access to health and educational opportunities. These are imposing significant costs on our kids, our communities and the wider economy. Child poverty alone is estimated to cost New Zealand billions of dollars annually.”

“We, too, are calling on Labour and National to have an honest public conversation about how New Zealand will fund the commitments needed to meet the Child Poverty Reduction Act targets, to reduce child poverty, and address the long-term social and fiscal challenges.”

Lyn Amos, Kaiwhakahaere Mātua – Executive Officer, Child Poverty Action Group.

Read the open letter.

The Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign is a coalition of over 20 organisations led by Tax Justice Aotearoa.

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Source: Save the Children New Zealand

Young people from across Aotearoa will come together in Auckland this Saturday, 19 September, for Aotearoa Youth COP 2026, a day of workshops, guest speakers, activities, and discussion focused on climate action and the issues young people want decision-makers to hear.

Hosted by Save the Children New Zealand as part of its Generation Hope youth programme, the event will bring together rangatahi aged 14 to 20 to learn more about climate change, connect with other young people, and explore how they can help shape the decisions affecting their future.

This year’s event will feature multiple workshops covering different areas of climate action, guest speakers sharing their experiences and expertise, and a range of stalls where participants can learn more about organisations, initiatives, and opportunities to get involved.

Throughout the day, young people will be encouraged to share their own experiences, priorities, and ideas, building their knowledge and developing skills in leadership, communication, collaboration, and advocacy.

A key focus of the event will be the development of an Aotearoa Youth Climate Statement, bring together the views and recommendations of young people taking part.

The statement will reflect the climate issues rangatahi want leaders to prioritise and will be formally handed over to the New Zealand Government ahead of COP31 in Türkiye, helping ensure young people’s perspectives are part of wider climate discussions.

Generation Hope Ambassador Betty, 18, says Youth COP gives young people an important opportunity to connect with others who care about climate action and have their views taken seriously.

“Having lived in weather event-prone areas all my life, climate change is something our generation is going to live with for the rest of our lives. We are the “now” that needs to be part of the conversations and decisions surrounding this issue.

“Youth COP is a platform to turn our concerns about climate issues into practical action along with other young people.”

Generation Hope Ambassador Brayden, 16, says the event will give rangatahi the chance to hear from a range of people working on climate issues while developing their own ideas about what needs to change.

“There are so many different parts to climate action, and it can sometimes be hard to know where you fit into it or how you can make a difference.

“Youth COP is a chance for young people to come together, hear different perspectives, ask questions and have our own voices heard. For me, it’s about becoming a more informed citizen and making sure those who make decisions on behalf of young people understand what matters most to our generation – because we are the ones who will have to live with the decisions being made today.”

Save the Children New Zealand Programme and Advocacy Director, Jacqui Southey, says meaningful youth participation is an important part of climate action, particularly because children and young people are already experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis.

“The climate crisis is already affecting children around the world, including their health, education, homes, food security, and safety, while many of the decisions being made today will shape the world young people inherit.

“Youth COP gives rangatahi a chance to deepen their understanding of climate issues, test their ideas, and work together on the issues that matter to them. Young people have a right to be heard on decisions that affect their lives, and they bring valuable perspectives and solutions to the table.”

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: Health Coalition Aotearoa

Health Coalition Aotearoa now formally recognises gambling as its fourth commercial determinant of harm, alongside tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food.

Health Coalition Aotearoa, an advocacy organisation for public health, made the decision at its Annual General Meeting on 14 September.

It will partner with the Problem Gambling Foundation to build the evidence base for better regulating the industry. See Annual Report 2026.

According to the Ministry of Health’s latest Economic and Social Costing of Gambling in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023/24 report, gambling harm costs New Zealand an estimated $4.2 billion annually, through impacts including poorer physical and mental health, financial hardship, damaged relationships and wider costs to whānau and society.

That harm falls hardest on Māori and Pacific whānau, and increasingly on Asian communities, keeping families locked in poverty and widening inequalities that prevention work elsewhere is trying to close.

Meanwhile, new regulation paves the way for 15 new online casino licences that could operate in Aotearoa.

The Problem Gambling Foundation says kids are already talking about bets at school and young people, who are trying to quit, report receiving phone calls from operators encouraging them back in.

“Gambling harm keeps whānau in poverty, widens inequality, and increasingly reaches our young people through products designed to sit in their pockets,” says Jason Alexander interim co-chair Health Coalition Aotearoa.

“Across the Tasman, Australia is moving to tighten gambling advertising and reduce its presence around sport. Here, we seem to be heading in the opposite direction – opening the door wider to the gambling industry when we should be reducing its reach and the harm it causes.”

Health Coalition Aotearoa and the Problem Gambling Foundation are calling on government to properly regulate gambling advertising and licensing before this expansion goes further and are jointly building the evidence to make that case impossible to ignore.

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NEW DELHI, INDIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 September 2026 – The 2026 BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi from Saturday to Sunday, bringing together leaders of major emerging economies to promote inclusive global governance, strengthen multilateralism and foster sustainable global economic growth.

When addressing the Session I of the 18th BRICS Summit on Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of BRICS cooperation. It has been 20 years of self-reliance and self-strengthening, and BRICS countries have actively explored development paths suited to their own national conditions, setting an example of self-strengthening through unity among emerging markets and developing countries, Xi said.

On the sidelines of the summit, the People’s Daily released a video titled “Through Xi’s Eyes: Finding the answer to the ‘warmth of BRICS,’” featuring the warmth of multilateral cooperation and how China’s development philosophy resonates across the Global South.

In the video, Busi Mabuza, South African chairperson of the BRICS Business Council, emphasized that emerging nations share a common bond: “Because most of the Global South countries are recently emerging from developing nation status, they understand the importance of not leaving anybody behind.”

“It [BRICS] has opened up relationships in markets that are not just large, but that believe in multilateralism, that believe in supporting BRICS partners through sharing of technology, through sharing of skills,” the chairperson said.

R. Deepak, professor of Chinese studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University who brought stacks of President Xi’s works back from China, observed that Xi’s early years laid the foundation for his people-centered approach and poverty alleviation strategies. Such grassroots governance, Deepak noted, deeply resonates with nations of the Global South that share similar developmental journeys and strive to build a better life for their people.

As the video reflects, for people across Asia, Africa and Latin America, development is not an abstract concept but concrete improvements, from a paved road to a new job. As nations come together for this common goal, the paths to development and modernization open up to more possibilities.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Save the Children

KATHMANDU, 9 September 2026 – About 540 children have been separated from their parents or are unaccompanied two weeks since Nepal’s devastating flash floods, according to an initial assessment, Save the Children said.

As needs for family tracing and reunification grow, a rapid assessment by the National Child Rights Council and child protection experts, including Save the Children, found that 1,233 children are living in holding centres as of 4 September. Of these, 102 are unaccompanied – meaning they do not have a parent or relative with them – and 439 are separated from their parents and being cared for by relatives. [1].

Based on the preliminary number of children that schools and families have not been able to contact, about 630 children remain missing in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, according to the assessment. More than 1,300 people have died and about 5,000 are missing, according to the government. [2].

Some schools closed by the floods in Nepal are starting to reopen today with children returning to classes in Bidur – but only for children who are enrolled in education in the municipality. Children who have moved into temporary shelters in Bidur from other municipalities after being forced to leave their destroyed or damaged homes are not currently able to attend classes.

The wall of water that triggered flash floods on 26 August cut off communities in minutes, breaking bridges and destroying roads, and making rescue by helicopter the only way to safety for many people.

Some children were taken to different locations or temporary shelters from their families – many were at school or travelling to classes when the flood waters struck. Others may have lost one or both parents as villages were swept away.

Unaccompanied or separated children have become scattered across the flood-affected areas, with more than 3,600 people living in displacement sites.

Bishal-, 33, was working away from home when the flood tore through his village, destroying his home. With people moving from shelter to shelter, he had to search for days to find his family.

Bishal- said:

“For three days, I did not know where my family was, and that was the hardest moment of my life. The flood took away our home and shop, and my children were scared and quiet afterwards.”

Save the Children is providing psychosocial support for children, including for those who are without parents or legal guardians.

In one of the tented child-friendly safe spaces, a group of young children play with a toy kitchen, meticulously placing tiny chairs around a table. Next door, children practice writing English in Save the Children’s temporary learning centre.

“Children are looking after children,” said Jhan Kumari Neupane, a psychosocial counsellor working in the safe spaces. “Young children have no idea that their parents might not return, while older children are trying to be resilient but are experiencing nightmares, anxiety and fear.”

Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal said:

“Every separated and unaccompanied child is a protection emergency. Family tracing, reunification and support for family-based care in the aftermath of a disaster on this scale is a huge challenge but a critical priority. It must be done quickly but systematically and safely by local authorities to ensure that children are protected at every step of the process.

“Unaccompanied and separated children living in communal shelters are at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse including trafficking. Save the Children and partners are supporting police at checkpoints to prevent trafficking and the illicit transport of children.

“This is still the emergency phase, and needs are overwhelming. There are simply not enough trained professionals to support the thousands of children who have lost so much.”

For children who tragically cannot be reunited with their parents, Save the Children recommends kinship and family-based care, and is supporting authorities to ensure appropriate interim and alternative care arrangements for children who are unaccompanied.

Save the Children is calling for all children to be able to return to education as soon as possible, including those living in temporary shelters and those not able to go back to destroyed or damaged schools.

Save the Children has so far reached more than 6,100 people, including over 2,220 children, with emergency assistance and support.

The humanitarian and child rights organisation has set up child-friendly and temporary learning spaces, providing children with a safe place to play and learn. In partnership with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation (TPO), we are expanding the number of counsellors who can support children. We are also continuing to deliver aid as response teams reach more areas with items including household and cooking kits and mosquito nets.

Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.

New Zealanders wanting to donate to Save the Children’s response in Nepal can do so here: https://nepal-flood.savethechildren.org.nz/.

References:

[1] The rapid assessment in 30 out of 39 holding centres was led by the National Child Rights Council with support from Save the Children and other child protection partners. Data as of 4 September 2026.

[2] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 September https://mofa.gov.np/content/1879/daily-update-07-september-bhote-koshi-flood/

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

New analysis shows restoring pay equity would:

• Provide an income boost for 91,000 families with 136,000 children
• Lift an estimated 11,000 children out of poverty
• Deliver families six times more a week than the Govt’s average FamilyBoost payment

New PSA analysis shows 136,000 children in 91,000 families would be better off by $300 a week on average if pay equity was restored, confirming again how damaging the Government’s decision to axe claims has been.

The analysis, modelled from Census 2023 data and Treasury’s own figures, shows restoring pay equity would put a combined $1.39 billion a year into the pockets of families with children – an average of $300 a week per family, or around $195 a week for every child.

That would be enough to lift an estimated 11,000 children out of poverty overnight, on the material hardship measure.

“Pay equity for New Zealand women is the right thing to do morally but it also makes fiscal and economic sense. Every party in Parliament should be committed to ensuring that children do not live in poverty in New Zealand in 2026 and pay equity is an important step to making this a reality, said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“You can’t claim to be tackling child poverty with one hand while blocking the single biggest pay rise this country’s lowest-paid workers have ever been offered with the other – our analysis exposes just how cruel and heartless scrapping pay equity was.

“This is who the Government has really hurt – 136,000 children whose families are doing it even tougher in a cost of living crisis because this Government tore up their pay equity claims.

“This cruel and sexist decision was rushed through under urgency in a single day with no warning and without a thought for the families it affected. Our analysis, coupled with an earlier paper on the economic upside of pay equity, exposes the true consequences of this decision and the missed opportunity.

“It’s staggering that this Government spent months trumpeting FamilyBoost as its answer to the cost of living, when pay equity would put more than six times as much into the pockets of families with kids. FamilyBoost pays around $47 a week on average to just 60,000 families, and fewer than 2,000 receive the maximum $120 a week.

“Pay equity would change the lives of so many thousands of families and they wouldn’t have to fill out a single form to get it.”

The PSA’s earlier analysis of Treasury’s own modelling showed reinstating pay equity would grow the economy by $13.5 billion and create 13,000 jobs over four years – a $2.25 return for every dollar spent, better value than the Government’s own flagship growth policies.

“The Government chose to make the Budget numbers work by taking money out of the pockets of low-paid women and their children, while handing tax cuts to landlords and big tobacco,” said Fitzsimons.

“The facts are clear as daylight. Low- and middle-income families spend what they earn in their own communities, supporting local shops and local jobs. That’s money this Government is choosing to withhold – in other words wage theft.

“We will leave no stone unturned until New Zealand women and their families have pay equity.

“We’re calling on the Government, and on every party heading into the election, to front up: will you commit to restoring pay equity and lifting these children out of poverty, or will you keep defending a decision that’s failing families and failing the economy?” said Fitzsimons.

PSA analysis on the cost of pay equity

• PSA analysis – Pay equity would improve the lives of 136,000 New Zealand children
• 23 August Govt’s axing of pay equity cost jobs & GDP growth – PSA analysis

PSA actions to date on pay equity campaign

The PSA has taken a number of steps to fight the Government’s scrapping of pay equity. See the PSA campaign page. Actions include:

• Supported setting up the People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity
• 26 May 2025 PSA supports peoples’ select committee on undemocratic pay equity changes
• Joined combined union High Court action under the Bill of Rights
• 18 August 2025 Five unions to take Government to court over pay equity
• 5 December 2025 Human Rights Commission intervention a boost for landmark pay equity legal case
• 6 August 2026 Govt’s pay equity defence ‘cynical and opportunistic’, unions tell High Court as landmark hearing concludes

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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Source: Save the Children New Zealand

Kiwi Kids have the chance to cast their vote and have their voices heard in the lead up to this year’s General Election. Kiwi kids can experience voting via a new online voting portal for children launched by Save the Children.

While they may still be years away from casting an official vote, tamariki and rangatahi aged under 18 can participate in Save the Children’s Kiwi Kids Vote and share their views on the issues they would see positive change on.

The online platform is open to all young people across Aotearoa New Zealand, whether they choose to participate individually from home or as part of a school-based activity.

Schools can set up their own voting booths, incorporate voting into classroom learning programmes, or run school-wide voting events to encourage discussion about civic participation and democracy.

Save the Children New Zealand Programmes and Advocacy Director Jacqui Southey says it is vital that children and young people have opportunities to express their views on decisions that affect their lives.

“Children and young people have important perspectives on the issues facing New Zealand today, from climate change and education to wellbeing, affordability and the future they want to see for their communities.

“Giving young people the opportunity to participate in Kiwi Kids Vote helps them to learn about and experience the democratic process while ensuring their voices are heard. Children may be too young to vote, but they have the right to share their views, and it is our role as adults to listen.

“The insights we gather through Kiwi Kids Vote help us better understand what matters most to tamariki and rangatahi, and provide an opportunity to elevate those views to inform decision-makers and the wider community on the positive changes children wish to see.”

Participation is simple. Any person under the age of 18 can take part by visiting kiwikidsvote.nz and completing the online vote.

Via the online voting portal, teachers and schools interested in participating can run classroom or school-wide voting activities, helping students learn about democracy, citizenship and civic engagement in a fun and meaningful way.

For more information go to Kiwi Kids Vote 2026 – Save the Children NZ or ready to get started, go straight to kiwikidsvote.nz.

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: World Literacy Foundation

8 September | International Literacy Day

AUSTRALIA — 4 September 2026

International Literacy Day should be a celebration of progress. However, for millions of children worldwide, it serves as a painful reminder of the ongoing literacy challenges that threaten their futures. This year marks 60 years since UNESCO established this day, and the theme for 2026 is “Literacy for People, the Planet, and Prosperity.”

The World Literacy Foundation is urging governments, organisations, and individuals to acknowledge literacy as one of the most pressing social and economic challenges confronting communities worldwide.

Australia is not exempt from the global literacy crisis. This year’s NAPLAN results showed a decline in reading scores for students in Years 5, 7, and 9, while the gap in performance based on location remains largely unchanged. Approximately 70 per cent of students in major city schools meet or exceed the expected reading standard, in stark contrast to only 23 per cent of students in very remote schools.

“Literacy is not simply about learning to read; it is about unlocking opportunities, reducing poverty, and enabling children to reach their full potential. Yet millions of young people still lack access to books and literacy support,” World Literacy Foundation CEO Andrew Kay stated.

Research consistently highlights the extensive consequences of low literacy, which contribute to unemployment, diminished workforce participation, lower productivity, and heightened social disadvantage.

Among the key concerns:

• The 2026 NAPLAN results revealed a decline in reading scores for students in Years 5, 7, and 9, with approximately one in ten Australian students requiring additional support (ACARA).
• Around 70 per cent of students in major city schools in Australia read at or above the expected standard, compared to just 23 per cent in very remote schools (ACARA, NAPLAN 2026).
• Globally, 739 million adults are unable to read or write (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
• In low- and middle-income countries, 70 per cent of 10-year-olds cannot read and comprehend a simple written text, an increase from 57 per cent before the pandemic (World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF).
• As a result, today’s students are projected to lose a combined total of $21 trillion in lifetime earnings, which is equivalent to 17 per cent of global GDP (World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF).

To commemorate the occasion, the World Literacy Foundation has launched the initiative “One Book at a Time”, encouraging people worldwide to donate $10 to provide a book to a child who does not own one.

“Receiving a book of their own can have a life-changing impact for many children,” stated Mr Kay. “A single book can ignite a lifelong passion for reading.”

The Foundation aims to reach 500,000 children who currently do not have any books, allowing donors to select the region to which their books will be sent.

Learn more

worldliteracyfoundation.org/international-literacy-day

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Source: Oxfam Aotearoa

• A week on, search and rescue operations and humanitarian aid efforts are a desperate race against time
• Almost 4,000 people are missing, and some 50,000 people urgently need access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene
• Nepal produces just 0.1% of global emissions, yet communities are paying a devastating price as climate risks grow

The catastrophic floods in Nepal are a stark warning of what a hotter world will mean for communities on the climate frontline and why governments and donors must invest now in climate resilience, adaptation and disaster preparedness, rather than waiting for the next disaster to strike, Oxfam has warned.

A week after the devastating floods, rescuers are still scrambling to reach people cut off by destroyed roads, bridges and landslides. Oxfam and local partners are racing to deliver life-saving assistance, but the scale of the destruction is making access to some of the worst-affected areas, particularly Rasuwa, increasingly difficult.

“Nepal contributes just 0.1% of global emissions, yet our communities are paying a devastating price as climate risks grow,” said Santosh Pandey, Oxfam in Nepal’s Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Management Lead.

“Nepal’s devastating floods should be a wake-up call for governments and donors. We cannot keep waiting for disasters to happen. In a burning world, climate shocks will become more frequent here and communities need the resources to prepare, adapt and become more resilient before the next disaster strikes.”

The Government of Nepal estimates that 10,000 households – around 50,000 people – require immediate access to clean water, toilets and hygiene, with thousands more in need of shelter and food.

Oxfam launched an emergency response a day after the floods struck. It is working with local authorities and partners in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading to reach some of the worst-affected communities.

The major flash flood on 26 August was triggered by a massive glacier collapse and ice-rock avalanche that blocked the Lhende Khola, 20km north of the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint. At least 1,000 people have been killed and 3,916 remain unaccounted for, while more than 50,000 people have been displaced or temporarily moved from their homes.

Nepal is highly exposed to floods, landslides and earthquakes. Climate change is adding further pressure through rapidly changing glaciers, snow and water systems and increasingly unpredictable extreme weather. The Himalayan region also faces growing risks from glacial floods in the years ahead.

Oxfam said far more investment is needed in climate adaptation, early warning systems, disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure, particularly in countries that have contributed little to global emissions.

“The lesson from Nepal is clear: resilience saves lives,” said Pandey. “If we only fund the response after a disaster, we will always be one step behind. Communities need sustained investment to prepare for the shocks we know are coming.”

“But for now our focus must be on action – we are in a race against time to save lives and support everyone affected.”

He added: “We know that shelter, food and emergency hygiene kits are desperately needed. We are doing everything possible to reach the affected populations, but against such immense need, our contribution feels overwhelmingly small.”

Oxfam has deployed 200 hygiene kits and 1,000 water purification tablets to Rasuwa and distributed water, sanitation and hygiene and food assistance in other affected communities.

It is also preparing to scale up its response over the next six months, aiming to reach 2,000 households – around 10,000 people – with life-saving assistance including WASH, shelter, protection and cash support.

But Oxfam warns that emergency relief alone will not protect Nepal from the next shock.

“Nepal needs international solidarity now, but it also needs investment for the future,” said Pandey. “Climate action must become a priority, not an afterthought.”

Notes

• Oxfam has worked in Nepal since the 1980s, alongside communities and local partners to tackle inequality and deliver humanitarian and development programmes. Its work is grounded in strengthening civic space and supporting people to challenge the injustices that keep them in poverty, led by a feminist approach rooted in the Global South. Oxfam in Nepal works across three connected areas: climate and water, gender justice, and humanitarian response and disaster risk management.

• Oxfam is working closely with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the Social Welfare Council and District Administration Offices to deliver relief materials to affected communities.  

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Source: Save the Children

One week after massive flooding swept through communities across Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, children are showing signs of psychological distress, Save the Children said, as families worry about their futures.

At least 1,000 people have been killed, with more than 3,900 people still missing[1], after flood waters created by the collapse of a mountain glacier rushed through valleys with a force that wiped entire villages off the map.

Save the Children staff spoke to children in Nuwakot district who said they are fearful and anxious after witnessing wide-ranging horrors including school buses full of friends washed away, their homes submerged and everything they hold dear carried away by the waters.

Neela-, 11, was preparing to go to school when the flood waters came rushing down and tore through her village and home on a rugged hill side.

She and her family escaped with only the clothes they were wearing. Her family home is no longer standing, while many of her relatives and neighbors are still missing.

Neela said:

“We lost everything including our home and our buffalos. My school is gone and many of my friends are still missing.”

Neela, who is staying in a temporary shelter where Save the Children has a presence and has provided her family with kits containing essential items including torches, blankets, soap and other personal hygiene items, said she is scared of future floods.

“I’m in no mood to talk and I’m scared to sleep incase there is another wall of water coming down,” she said.

Tara Chettry, Save the Children Nepal Country Director, said:

“The need for mental healthcare is growing. It’s been seven days since this horrific event happened and children and adults are still processing it, grappling with the enormity of what happened and questioning what it means for their future.

“Many are still separated from loved ones and are anxious to find family members. Others are worried about where they’re going to sleep at night, how they’ll rebuild their homes and how they will make a living.

“Recovery is not only about rebuilding homes and infrastructure. Children need support to process what they have been through. Helping them recover emotionally is essential to helping communities recover as a whole.”

Forecasters have warned that additional rainfall could hamper recovery efforts in some affected areas [2], raising concerns among displaced families still living in temporary accommodation while heavy rainfall on country roads has brought fresh challenges including slowed down aid delivery to some of the more cut off and rural areas.

Parents affected by the floods are also facing significant challenges. Many have lost livelihoods and household possessions, increasing financial pressures that could further affect their children’s emotional well-being.

Bijay-, 33, a father of three at one temporary shelter in Nuwakot district, said he used to own a shop but his shop and their home was washed away. He’s anxious about how he’ll support the family.

“I cannot buy anything,” said Bijay.

Save the Children is on the ground in the affected areas in Nuwakot district and we have set up two child friendly spaces in Nuwakot with the aim of setting up a third in Rasawa district 120 km (75 miles) north of the capital Kathmandu.

These are spaces where children can play, do some sports and regain some sense of normality. Save the Children has also assigned psychosocial counsellors at the child friendly spaces to support children with their mental health and psychosocial needs.

At least 65,000 people, need immediate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) support while about 22,000 people, including children, need protection support and at least 19 schools have been damaged in the flood affected areas.[3]

Save the Children has recently established a field office in Nuwakot district to ensure timely support to children and affected communities.

Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.

New Zealanders wanting to donate to Save the Children’s response in Nepal can do so here: https://nepal-flood.savethechildren.org.nz/.

References

[1] Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

[2] https://www.dhm.gov.np/

[3] UN OCHA flash update

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Source: Ki tua o Matariki

A new nationwide campaign is inviting whānau to share their experiences of the support-or lack of support-around them following the arrival of their pēpi (baby).

The village we needed when pēpi arrived is a research and advocacy collaboration between lived-experience Māori maternal mental health rōpū Hine ki te Wheiao and Māori research group Wāhi Kōrero.

Kairangahau Hauora Māori, Felicity Ware (Ngāpuhi), says the campaign aims to gather hundreds of diverse, anonymous stories from māmā, pāpā, kaumātua, aunties, uncles and others across the pā harakeke (family unit). “We can see that the village around young families in Aotearoa is changing, and we know from our maternal mental health statistics that many māmā are struggling. While its well established how incredibly protective social support can be in those early years, we know much less about the realities of that day to day support for whānau today. Our campaign is asking what do the people and places around whānau actually look like when pēpi arrive and was it what they need?”

The campaign comes at a time when suicide continues to be a leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa, against a backdrop of housing and cost-of-living pressures that are placing increasing strain on whānau with young pēpi. The Ministry of Social Development’s latest Child Poverty Report 2026 shows that poverty is falling heaviest on tamariki Māori. One in four-or around 77,000-tamariki Māori are growing up in whānau that cannot afford basic essentials, up from around 19 percent five years ago. Among all tamariki living in private rentals, 40 percent are unable to afford the basics, even after receiving government assistance.

Lizzie Strickett, Hine ki te Wheiao, says she is excited about the possibility of whānau lived experience contributing to systems change: “Whānau have huge aspirations for themselves and their tamariki. They know what strong support could look like within their own whānau and communities, and we think there is no better time than now where decisions are being made about the future of health, housing and social support in our country, to listen and act on the solutions they are offering us”.

Stories can be shared anonymously through Wāhi Kōrero and may reflect positive, difficult or mixed experiences. Whānau do not need to have experienced postnatal depression or accessed mental health services to take part. The stories will help build a clearer picture of what whānau need during the first 2,000 days of a child’s life. Findings will be used to inform advocacy in whānau-centred policy, services and investment across health, housing and social services.

Whānau can share their story anonymously at https://wahikorero.co.nz/projects/the-village-we-needed-when-pepi-arrived/

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Source: Save the Children

Children crammed into public shelters are facing an increased risk of illness as families struggle to get clean water for drinking and washing in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods, Save the Children said.

https://www.savethechildren.net/news/nepal-floods-i-cannot-stay-inside-it-too-stuffy-overcrowded-shelters-put-childrens-health-and

On the road from the capital Kathmandu to Trishuli Bazar, a once bustling market area and the commercial heart of Nuwakot district, body bags are piling up and starting to emit a strong smell of decomposition.

Decaying human and animal remains, unmanaged waste, and stagnant water are further heightening the risk of waterborne diseases including diarrhoea and skin infections, said the aid agency.

Save the Children staff have seen children visibly unwell, with some being treated for respiratory tract infections and fevers.

Yalmo-, 57, who came to a holding centre in Nuwakot with his family, said some of his grandchildren were coughing while other children in the centre had developed low fevers.

“There was a lot of dirt, and we felt like we were going to be sick,” said Yalmo-, recounting how his family walked to safety.

His wife, Amita-, 56, said the family were left with nothing after the water tore through their community, and now some of her grandchildren, who she clutches close to her, are sick.

“We were out in the open too long, so we have scratchy throats and fever,” she said.

Many of the water sources in the affected areas are contaminated by debris from the flash floods, leaving communities without access to clean drinking and bathing water. Rain is continuing, washing torrents of mud into areas where people have fled from their ruined homes.

Some children now living in community buildings on higher ground spent days out in the open after the floods tore through their villages leaving more than 900 people dead in Nepal and over 4,000 still missing.

https://ndrrma.gov.np/en/rasuwa/situation

As rain and the threat of further flash floods continue to affect communities across Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, some of the areas worst-affected by the floods, children are also vulnerable to vector-borne diseases, such as dengue, as stagnant water creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal said:

“The immediate danger from the devastating flash floods may have passed in some areas, but we fear a second crisis is unfolding.

“Crowded spaces, contaminated water, poor sanitation, and limited access to healthcare create the ideal conditions for disease outbreaks that can severely harm children.

“Children are also showing up to holding centres and temporary shelters with coughs and other illnesses and sometimes there is no medicine. In rural or entirely cut off areas the situation will be even worse.”

With needs continuing to grow, Save the Children is calling on governments, donors, and humanitarian partners to increase flexible funding for the Nepal floods emergency response to ensure children and their families receive the help that they need.

Save the Children in Nepal’s emergency response team is working in the affected areas and delivering essential items, including drinking water, tarpaulins, blankets, cooking kits, mosquito nets, baby kits and personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes in the first phase of the response.

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: Child Poverty Action Group

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling on the Government to reverse the latest welfare law change stripping unemployment benefits from thousands of 18 and 19-year-olds which they say will deepen hardship for young people.

From November 2026, 18 and 19-year-olds will be denied Jobseeker Support if their parents earn more than $67,225 combined. An estimated 4,300 young people are expected to lose eligibility for support.

CPAG Chief Executive Lyn Amos says the policy punishes young people for a lack of jobs, not a lack of effort.

“Youth unemployment is nearly 15 percent and higher again for young people with disabilities. Jobs are hard to find right now, and this law doesn’t change that. It just removes the safety net from under young people while they look,” Ms Amos says.

“This isn’t about parents ‘stepping up.’ The families affected have lost the Family Tax Credit for these young people who are no longer counted as dependents – yet they’re still expected to fully support unemployed 18 and 19-year-olds. Younger children in these households will feel that squeeze first.”

Earlier this year, it was an OIA request from CPAG which revealed the Prime Minister’s office had no evidence on file (https://www.cpag.org.nz/news/revealed-pms-office-received-no-advice-that-there-are-jobs-for-young-people) that jobs were even available for 18 and 19-year-olds, despite his repeated statements suggesting there were.

CPAG’s newly released Manifesto to Reduce Child Poverty (https://www.cpag.org.nz/our-campaigns/a-manifesto-to-reduce-child-poverty-2026), written by 11 researchers across incomes, housing, health, disability and education, specifically calls for this policy to be reversed.

One of the Manifesto’s authors, Auckland University economist Susan St John, says this change that treats young adults as dependent children is supposed to “reduce benefit dependency and encourage people into work, but in practice it swaps one dependency for another, with no analysis of its potentially harmful effects (https://theconversation.com/jobseeker-changes-turn-young-adults-into-dependent-children-and-squeeze-households-further-266785).”

“Young people don’t choose to be unemployed in a recession. What they need is support to find secure work and further education – not to be told the taxpayer owes them nothing because of what their parents earn.”

CPAG says the change will push more families into poverty and deepen their hardship and comes as the country continues to miss its statutory child poverty reduction targets.

The Manifesto calls for all 18 and 19-year-olds to retain access to a benefit if they need one, alongside a wider package of reforms to Working for Families, benefit abatement rates, and student loan repayment thresholds, to lift children and young people out of poverty.

Notes to Editors:

– CPAG is an independent charity that has researched and advocated on child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand for 32 years.

– The Manifesto for Child Poverty Reduction (August 2026) and an executive summary are available at A Manifesto to Reduce Child Poverty (2026) – Child Poverty Action Group (https://www.cpag.org.nz/our-campaigns/a-manifesto-to-reduce-child-poverty-2026).

– CPAG’s Policy Briefs are at https://www.cpag.org.nz/policy-briefs (https://www.cpag.org.nz/policy-briefs).

– Key figures: 169,300 children (14.3%) in material hardship in the year ended June 2025 (StatsNZ), up 47,500 since 2022; the legislated 2028 target is 6%. Child poverty is estimated to cost 3-4.5% of GDP a year ($13.5-18 billion).

– Manifesto authors: Innes Asher, Gerard Cotterell, Rebekah Graham, Frank Hogan, Alan Johnson, Michael O’Brien, John O’Neill, Jenny Ritchie, Susan St John, Nikki Turner, Janfrie Wakim.

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Source: Save the Children

Overcrowded shelters for families displaced by Nepal’s flash floods are putting children’s health and safety at risk, with the number of children at one centre doubling in a single afternoon, Save the Children said as rescue and recovery efforts enter their fifth day.

More than 700 people have been killed and more than 2,400 remain unaccounted for after a glacier collapse on 26 August unleashed a torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan mountain river systems. [1]

With roads and bridges destroyed, many survivors in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts remain cut off from vital services, including shelter, clean drinking water, food, medical assistance and child protective services.

Many children and their families are being brought to temporary holding centres, often run by government or local authorities in schools or sports facilities, where people are registered, assessed and referred to medical facilities, aid distribution sites and shelters in the hills surrounding flood-affected areas. Some families are also sleeping on the floors of aid distribution sites due to the limited number of shelters available.

Save the Children visited a holding centre in Nuwakot, one of the main districts in central Nepal affected by the flash floods, approximately 37 miles (59 kilometres) from the capital Kathmandu. The number of children being housed at the centre doubled from 30 children to 60 in the span of an afternoon after more families and children were transported there by truck.

The rapid increase in the number of children and families arriving at the limited holding centres is putting additional pressure on already stretched facilities and raising concerns about children’s health, safety and access to essential services.

Ishaan-, 9, was moved from one holding centre to another along with his grandparents and four other family members and was still wearing the same muddy and dirty clothes he was wearing when the water, mud and debris hit.

Ishaan said:

“They told us we were moving so we got on a truck and moved from where we were staying but we arrived at this centre which has more people and is more crowded. I cannot stay inside, it is too stuffy. I want to play and stay outside.”

While local authorities are fighting against time to rescue people, children who have survived the ordeal are now facing uncertainty and are feeling unsettled after being constantly moved from centre to centre, raising the risk of overcrowding as well as limited access to toilets, showers and other personal hygiene facilities as well as the risk of the spread of illnesses between children living and sleeping in close proximity to each other.

Tara Chettry, Country Director Save the Children Nepal, said:

“We are extremely concerned right now about children who are vulnerable to psychological distress after a massive disaster such as this and moving them frequently from one holding centre to another without a proper rationale or without adequate tracing in place significantly intensifies the risks to these children.

“Stability matters for children following a disaster. Not only are they feeling distressed after losing their friends and family members but now they have to deal with an added layer of anxiety.

“We’re urging local authorities to work quickly to establish safe and spacious temporary shelters for children and to ensure that every movement of children is carefully planned, coordinated and guided by the best interest of the child.”

Save the Children is in Nuwakot and has been distributing essential items to children and families including baby kits and hygiene kits as well as blankets for families, toothbrushes and toys for children to help recover from their ordeal. Save the Children is also providing clean drinking water to affected families and working with local authorities, where needed, to reunite separated children with their families.

Save the Children has been working in Nepal since 1976 as the country’s largest child-focused organization, operating across numerous districts in areas like education, health, child protection, and disaster response.

References:

[1] National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority: https://ndrrma.gov.np/en/rasuwa

Content available here: http://www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2SPMGEHF

About Save the Children NZ:

Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.

Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

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Source: Save the Children

Nine school children have been reunited with their families after being stranded at school for two days by the devastating flash floods in Northern Nepal, as rescue efforts continue to reach other students, Save the Children said.

The children arrived at an aid distribution point where Save the Children is working after walking from their school. Many children in the area travel long distances to their schools and were cut off in the aftermath of the massive surge of floodwater. With support from Save the Children, they were able to find their families.

At least 69 schools in flood-devastated districts in Northern Nepal have been destroyed or damaged, putting education at risk for nearly 19,000 children, Save the Children said [1].

The figures are based on an initial assessment and are likely to rise as rescue and response teams reach more areas and more information is available from affected communities [1]. Save the Children staff in Nuwakot said children in the devastated communities are holding onto the few belongings they have or searching for what they lost, including schoolbooks and uniforms.

Fears of further flooding are also causing new terror with families moving to higher ground. For many children, this is the first disaster of this scale they have experienced, and they are frightened, distressed and worried about their futures.

More than 500 people have died in Nepal in the disaster, and hundreds are still missing. Some families are camping in tents in front of their damaged homes as efforts continue to find survivors, while others are living with relatives or in community centres.

Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal said:

“Reuniting children with their families in the aftermath of a catastrophe is an urgent and immediate priority, so when disaster strikes, getting children back to school may not seem like the most urgent need. Education is vital. For children who have lost their homes, their belongings and their sense of security, a safe place to learn can be a lifeline.

“School gives children something that is desperately important after a disaster: safety, routine, stability. It can help children cope with what they have experienced, while connecting them with the support they need.

“Education cannot wait until the emergency is over – it needs to be part of the response from day one.”

Save the Children in Nepal’s emergency response team is working in the affected areas and delivering essential items, including household and cooking kits, mosquito nets and blankets to 1,000 households in the first phase of assistance.

The humanitarian and child rights organisation is coordinating with national and local authorities to establish the immediate and long-term needs of children and families and is ready to scale up its response.

Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.

Save the Children New Zealand has already committed $150,000 to the response in Nepal. New Zealanders wanting to donate to Save the Children’s response in Nepal can do so through the Children’s Emergency Fund.

Notes:

[1] Figures from the Education Cluster – a joint group of NGOs, UN and the Government of Nepal. The group is co-chaired by Save the Children. The 69 schools have 18,918 students enrolled (9,350 girls and 9,568 boys).

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