The hungriest place on Earth

I thought that was one of the most compelling and solemn headlines I have read in a longtime. It refers to the region in Southern Sudan that UN officials say has a level of malnourished people that is as at least three times below the WHO's threshold for an emergency.
One of the key reasons for this is that due to ongoing fighting people have been forced to flee their homes and their land, which means they cannot grow food for themselves and have limited means of survival. Its not like they can just pop out to the local shop or go over to their friends house for dinner.

I'm ashamed to co-exist in sort this world where there is such an abundance of food and utilities for many of us. It feel so superfluous and wrong, criminally wrong.

Save the Children appear to be very active in organising food programs and donating to them is an immediate way to help the situation.

To read more about Southern Sudan, there is an interesting article released by Media Global http://www.mediaglobal.org/article/2010-04-22/urgent-food-assistance-needed-as-southern-sudan-stands-on-the-brink-of-serious-famine

Held hostage by your own family - and it's legal.

I read the Human Rights Watch article about a young Canadian (and Saudi Arabian) citizen who went to visit her Father in Saudi for three months in 2007. Its now 2010 and she is still in there because under Saudi law men can essentially control the lives of their female "charges", which is basically any female in their family.

The Father of this woman Nazia Quasi (who is only 24) has decided to exercise his rights under the law to keep his daughter in Saudi Arabia despite the fact that she wants to return to Canada (where her Mother and siblings are) and under Saudi law it would appear that there is little that she can do to go back home if her Father won't let her.

This is completely outrageous, especially given the fact that the United Nations have told (or more diplomatically "advised") Saudi Arabia to get rid of this "Legal Guardianship" system, but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

As a 28 year old Irish woman living in Canada I cannot imagine the injustice of a country of which I am a citizen allowing a male family member to dictate how I live my life. It is unfathomable that such a system still exists, particularly in a developed nation.

I'm not sure what can be done to help Nazia and I realise there are two sides to a story but to put this in its simplest form, she is being held hostage in Saudi Arabia. How is it that the Canadian government are not actively involved in trying to bring one of its citizens back? I will continue to follow the plight of Nazia and if anyone knows how I can get involved in creating some noise and concern for her, please let me know.