People in Burma are struggling to survive in the face of exorbitant food costs after the kyat plummeted following eight months under military rule.

“Everything is so expensive. Even the price of a bottle of cooking oil, which used to cost 2,500 ($1.40) kyat, has gone up to 3,500 kyat ($2),” said a 20-year-old woman from Panglon in southern Shan State.

A woman from Langkho reported that she and other vendors no longer sell many staple foods because they’ve tripled in price. “I don’t buy many products to sell in my shop anymore,” she told SHAN, explaining that when petrol is available, everyone rushes to buy it because it’s scarce.

The country imports many packaged goods from neighbouring Thailand and China and the weak kyat has increased the cost of these items. At the same time many are also unemployed because they left their jobs to join the protest movement or the pandemic has put them out of work.

“People are struggling for their daily survival. We cannot give pocket money to our children,” a father living in Laikha told SHAN.