Myanmar

"It was like a graveyard," said one survivor. After 62 days at sea, suffering starvation, dehydration and abuse from people smugglers, he'd lost all hope of reaching shore alive. Read more

You may have heard about the deal the EU is negotiating with the US, known as TTIP (the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). It's likely that this deal will allow powerful companies to sue EU governments for protecting workers rights.  Read more

How often do you think about the water you’re using? I'll be honest, I don’t usually think about it too much. I get up, shower, brush my teeth, make coffee and so on. I always have access to water, I always have something to drink, which means I’m able to concentrate, I’m able to do my job, I stay healthy and I don’t get sick. But that isn’t the case for 800 million people worldwide who don’t have access to clean safe water, in places where a lack of water can mean life or death. This World Water Day we want to show you how water is changing lives for good for just some of the people we work with around the world. Read more

We hear shocking stories almost every day about horrific things that happen to women and girls across the world - from female genital mutilation to violent rape, such as the tragic case of Jyoti Singh in India. But in every country we work in there are incredibly brave women fighting to end violence against women and stand up for gender equality. This International Women's Day, we want to celebrate them. Read more

Violence against women and girls is far too common in Myanmar. Thanks to support from the UK government, we're working to change that, by helping survivors of violence and challenging negative cultural attitudes. Read more

As a long-term supporter of ActionAid, British actor and comedian Hugh Dennis recently visited the five-year-old girl he sponsors in Myanmar. Having been ruled by a repressive military regime for over 50 years, Myanmar, also known as Burma, is one of the least developed countries in the world. Its people are extremely poor: one in four people live below the poverty line and only 50% of children finish primary school. But now that the country has opened its borders, there's hope. Since 2012 we've been one of the few charities helping children through sponsorship in Myanmar. Here, Hugh Dennis shares his experience of meeting the little girl he sponsors and witnessing how his money is helping transform the future of her entire community. Read more