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nutrition

Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) - 2023

Ethiopia, 2023
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Reference ID
ETH_2023_SENS_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
Producer(s)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS)
Collections
Nutrition
Metadata
Documentation in PDF DDI/XML JSON
Study website
Created on
May 28, 2026
Last modified
Jun 22, 2026
Page views
316
  • Identification
  • Scope
  • Coverage
  • Producers and sponsors
  • Sampling
  • Survey instrument
  • Data collection
  • Data Access
  • Contacts
  • Metadata production

    • Identification

    Survey ID number

    ETH_2023_SENS_v01_M_v01_A_ESS
    Title

    Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) - 2023
    Country
    Name Country code
    Ethiopia ETH
    Study type

    Other Household Survey [hh/oth]
    Series Information

    The Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) is a series of survey methodologies developed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and specifically designed to consider the factors that are most relevant to refugees. SENS measures not only nutritional status data but also measures relevant other data related to household composition, anaemia, measles vaccination, vitamin A supplementation, diarrhoea and other health-related indicators, infant and young child feeding (IYCF), food availability, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), latrine usage and mosquito nets at the household-level. By collecting all this data, SENS studies provide a detailed snapshot of the nutritional health of a refugee population at a given point in time.
    Abstract

    This dataset presents findings from the Standardized Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) 2023 conducted at the Alemwach refugee site in Ethiopia's Amhara region. Established in 2020, Alemwach refugee site hosts Eritrean refugees relocated from northern Tigray due to conflict. The survey, led by the UN Refugee Agency and Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) in collaboration with government and partner organizations, aimed to assess the health, nutrition, food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions of the refugee population. Using version 3 of SENS guidelines (2018) and the Standardised Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) methodology, data were collected through face-to-face interviews with households selected via simple random sampling. As of 1 December 2023, Alemwach hosted 21 557 individuals, including 1940 children under five (9 percent of the population). The anonymized dataset supports evidence-based planning and targeted interventions to address the essential needs of refugees residing in Alemwach.
    Kind of Data

    Sample survey data [ssd]
    Unit of Analysis

    Household

    Scope

    Notes

    The scope includes:

    • Demographic profile
    • Mortality
    • Anthropometric and child health indicators
    • Anaemia among children and women
    • Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices
    • Food consumption and coping strategies
    • In-kind food assistance
    • Ownership and use of mosquito nets
    • Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services and hygiene products
    Keywords
    Health and Nutrition Water Sanitation Hygiene Malaria Prevention and Control Food Consumption

    Coverage

    Geographic Coverage

    The study covered the Alemwach Refugee Camp.
    Universe

    The population group covered in the study was refugees and asylum seekers residing in Alemwach Refugee Camp.

    Producers and sponsors

    Primary investigators
    Name
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS)
    Producers
    Name
    World Food Programme (WFP)
    PLAN International
    World Vision
    Medical Teams International (MTI)
    Dabat and Gendawuha Woreda Health Office

    Sampling

    Sampling Procedure

    Simple random sampling was applied to select households within the Alemwach refugee site. The sample size was calculated using UNHCR SENS Version 3 (2018) guidelines, taking into account estimated prevalence rates, desired precision, and design effect. The survey team conducted household listing prior to selection to ensure a complete sampling frame.
    Weighting

    Sampling weights were calculated to reflect the inverse probability of selection of each household, accounting for the total refugee population in Alemwach and the achieved sample size. These weights correct for unequal probabilities of selection and allow extrapolation of survey estimates to the entire camp population.

    Survey instrument

    Questionnaires

    The questionnaire followed the Standardized Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) Version 3 (2018) tools, covering modules on household demographics, child anthropometry, health, food security, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

    Data collection

    Dates of Data Collection
    Start End
    2023-12-11 2023-12-16
    Mode of data collection
    • Face-to-face [f2f]
    Data Collectors
    Name
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS)
    World Food Programme
    PLAN International
    World Vision
    Medical Teams International (MTI)
    Dabat and Gendawuha Woreda Health Office
    Data Collection Notes

    Data collection was conducted through face-to-face interviews using mobile devices between 11 and 16 December 2023, at the Alemwach refugee site. Field teams were trained on the Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) methodology and SENS tools prior to deployment.

    Data Access

    Citation requirements

    UNHCR, RRS (2025). Ethiopia: Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS). Accessed from: https://microdata.unhcr.org

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email URL
    Curation team United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) [email protected] https://www.unhcr.org/contact-us

    Metadata production

    DDI Document ID

    DDI_ETH_2023_SENS_v01_M_v01_A_ESS_FAO
    Producers
    Name Abbreviation Affiliation Role
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR United Nations Metadata producer
    Statistics Division ESS Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Metadata adapted for FAM
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