Plight

plight [ plahyt ]
[ noun, transitive verb ]

MEANING :
1. (n.) an unfortunate situation
2. (n.) a situation or predicament
3. (tr. v.) to pledge or to bind by a pledge

EXAMPLE 1 :
People donated in cash and kind after hearing of the sorry plight of the victims of the tsunami.

EXAMPLE 2 :
He describes the plight of villagers who lost everything to the floods.