A heartbreaking incident from Turkey has brought the devastating impact of poverty back into the spotlight.
In Ergani, a district in Diyarbakır province, a 20-day-old baby passed away due to severe malnutrition and neglect. The baby was born into a family of five children, living in a makeshift mud-brick house with no electricity, no refrigerator, and no regular income.
According to local reports, the infant was taken to the emergency unit of Ergani State Hospital after showing signs of health deterioration, only to be pronounced dead upon arrival. Medical evaluations revealed the baby died from starvation and lack of care.
The family, the Umutlus, survive solely on the goodwill of neighbors. Despite living in such dire conditions, they reportedly receive no formal social aid or government support.
In a deeply human gesture, hospital staff collected donations among themselves to help the grieving family. But this act of kindness has reignited concerns about systemic neglect and the visibility of extreme poverty in the region.
Local residents are now calling for immediate intervention by social services and government institutions, saying:
“How many more children must die before these homes are seen?”
This tragedy is a grim reminder of the unseen struggles of thousands of families living in poverty—not just in Turkey, but around the world.
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