ActionAid have announced that women and children in developing countries have been the hardest hit by the recession – in other words: those that contributed the least to the recession are paying the heaviest price.

We might be wrapped up in our own worries of economic downturn and rising unemployment in the UK but as the recession deepens and job losses increase, millions in the likes of Cambodia, are struggling for survival.

It is often difficult to measure or even comprehend how our instability spreads overseas, but this ActionAid announcement and appeal is an urgent reminder that we are not the only ones affected, and often to a much larger degree.

In such troubling times charity is the first to suffer and despite the amazing public support ActionAid continually recieve, income is reportedly down. Consequently there are an estimated 5,000 children left unsponsered this year. ActionAid need another 558,000 or community work will be forced to be compromised.

Whilst the fall in the British economy has been expected to have slowed, the knock-on effects are still largely evident across the world, especially in developing countries.

Cambodia, for example, are being destroyed by the recession. Rising food prices have caused families to struggle to eat whilst lack of charity donations have caused Action Aid work programmes to suffer.

Though in poverty, since 1993 the country has been stabilising and ActionAid later started work in 1999 in Cambodia. A full country progamme was launched by 2004 to help educate, feed and further strengthen the country.

This however could be a big step back in what has otherwise been a successful operation in one of the developing countries that has never had a real chance to rejuvanate.

SPONSOR AN AFRICAN CHILD WITH ACTIONAID