Nearly five years after the junta staged the coup, the number of beggars in Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State, has risen significantly, residents told Than Lwin Times.

Children constitute the largest proportion of beggars, though middle-aged and elderly individuals are also among them.

Most beggars are found at busy intersections, markets, crowded streets, city wards, and even in villages on the outskirts.

A resident of Mawlamyine said the number of beggars has reached an unprecedented level and expressed surprise at seeing people who seemed unlikely to be beggars also resorting to begging.

“The number of beggars is rising significantly. We’re seeing faces among them that we’ve never seen before. Some are neat and tidy people who’ve had no choice but to turn to begging. It’s really shocking. Some don’t act like typical beggars, they approach people, pleading and asking for money while sharing their hardships,” he told Than Lwin Times.

The number of beggars has risen due to skyrocketing commodity prices, rising unemployment, a lack of job opportunities, and increasingly difficult living conditions in Myanmar since the coup.

On the other hand, the junta has prioritized military spending over public welfare, failed to create jobs, and faced a decline in foreign investment since the coup, leaving the public increasingly impoverished, business and economic analysts pointed out.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on September 5 that one-third of Myanmar’s population is now facing hunger. This means a total of around 16.7 million people are experiencing a hunger crisis, an increase of 3 million from 2024.