Idiom
sad state of affairs
a bad situation that you find upsetting.It's a sad state of affairs when schools don't provide a basic education for their students.
Usage notes: sometimes used in the form a sad state:
Things have reached a sad state when you have to pay a bribe to get something done.
altho "sad state of affairs" is mainly spoken, "sorry state of affairs" is not--SL, 9/02