abandoned people; people left to fend for themselves
Refers to people abandoned or left behind by their government or society, especially after war, disaster, or policy failure. Often carries a critical or tragic tone.
After the war, many abandoned people could not return to their hometowns.
The policy was criticized for turning disaster victims into abandoned people.
Compound of 棄 (abandon) and 民 (people). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it likely emerged in modern Japanese to describe populations abandoned by the state.