Pretty sure you mixed up three continents there. Those aren't exactly the animals that the Middle East is known for (you want camels, my friend, and maybe ginormous spiders that are creepy and chase army vehicles). Also, "Down Under" refers to Australia. Besides, do lions usually hang out...
It says that there are an unfortunately large number of women in the world who are so poor and desperate for money that they're willing to risk abuse or worse by marrying a man thousands of miles away who they've never met, in a way that practically guarantees that their husband will view them...