Deadly protests and rioting over these increasing costs are occurring throughout Africa and Asia.

In Haiti, where 80% of the population survives on less than $2 a day, mass demonstrations turned deadly. Rioting in Les Cayes killed 4 and wounded at least 20. A few days later Haitians attempted to storm the presidential palace in Port-au- Prince shouting “We are hungry!”

In Egypt, where over 33% of the population live on around $2 a day, police took over a textiles plant to prevent a widespread strike over rising food costs. The military has been enlisted to bake bread to curb the growing anger.

In Morocco, 60 demonstrators allegedly died during riots in January.

In normally peaceful Senegal, riot police resorted to tear gas, violence, and intimidation to quell demonstrations last month.

In Thailand, supermarkets closely regulate the amount of rice each shopper may purchase.

The growing violence and desperation prompted UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to call upon the international community “to take urgent and concerted action in order to avoid the larger political and security implications of this growing crisis.”

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) projects that it needs an additional $755 million to continue its existing operations.

President Bush responded by releasing $200 million in emergency aid from the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust to help those nations in crisis.

At the same time, French President Sarkozy pledged to double France’s contribution to food aid.

The World Bank has said that it will double it’s agricultural lending within Africa—from $400 million to $800 million.

Time is running out—especially for small children.

The New York Times recounts a heart-wrenching spectacle in Haiti, where Placide Simone, a 29-year-old mother of five stopped a passing stranger in her desperation to save her starving children. Motioning to them she said, “Take one. You pick. Just feed them.”

Worldwide, five million children under five die each year as a result of malnutrition. The current food crisis can only increase that number.

You can help!

Click to Give on the hunger site—they send 100% ad money generated through users’ “clicks” to charity food programs. Turn your aimless browsing time into ‘clicks to give’.

Support the UN’s World Food Program—the “frontline agency in the fight against global hunger”

Volunteer with Doctors Without Borders—a group dedicated to saving lives in poverty-stricken regions.

I don’t regret that “B” I got in English my sophomore year because I opted to go to a date party instead of the library. I don’t regret hooking up with a good friend, even if it turned out horribly ugly in the end. I don’t even regret catching a terrible cold that lasted 3 weeks after wrestling in Jell-O in the middle of October…in Michigan.

But if there is one thing I do regret from my years of undergrad it is that I never went abroad.

When my friends first started discussing going abroad for Junior year I was wary. Living in another country sounded interesting, but I was worried about being half way around the world for such a long time. I would miss my family. I would miss my friends. I would definitely miss late night pizza in Ann Arbor.

My friends moved forward, signed up to study in Australia and I opted out in favor of more time in good ole’ Michigan.

And I didn’t regret my decision…then. I had a great time! While it seemed like everyone I knew was going to be abroad, I ended up having tons of friends stick around Michigan with me. We all got a ton closer, I got more active in things around campus, I had an awesome spring break and it was a really fun semester (turning 21 helped, obviously). So what if my friends were off in Australia learning how to surf, camping in the rainforest or travelling through East Asia on their way home? Ann Arbor was just as great.

Then I graduated, got a job and realized that I only get 2 weeks of vacation time a year. Not nearly enough time for me to settle into another country, experience other cultures or see the world.

And the regret sunk in.

My mother makes fun of me whenever I bring this up. “Oh, poor baby,” she tells me. “You have such a hard life!” But she just doesn’t get it. I missed out on a truly once in a lifetime experience. I will never again be able to pick up and just go. I will never again have the time (and total lack of responsibility) to do serious travelling. So, instead of whining like I usually do, I decided to keep others like me from making the same mistake.

Go abroad! Travel! See the world!

If you have the opportunity to go abroad do it. Don’t let the little things keep you from such an incredible experience. Never again will you have an unlimited amount of time to escape from life and do something so rich and fulfilling. Going abroad is so much more than just meeting new people and seeing new things; it can really change you. Don’t miss out on that chance because of a boyfriend, a fear of the unknown, or any other dumb reason you keep coming up with. There is no good reason not to go abroad. None.

Unless, of course, you like the idea of spending your post college years sitting on your couch, watching the Travel Channel and crying about never having seen those things first hand.