Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) - 2024 - Cox’s Bazar

The Standardized Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) 2024 was conducted among Rohingya refugee households residing in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, between 1 and 21 December 2024. The survey aimed to assess the nutritional and public health status of refugees living in 33 camps and to inform evidence-based programming across health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and food security sectors. Using two-stage cluster sampling, 672 households were selected from 48 clusters with representation across both the Kutupalong Mega Camps and registered camps (Kutupalong RC and Nayapara RC). The sampling frame was based on UNHCR population estimates as of 30 September 2024. The assessment collected data across multiple modules, including household demographics, child and maternal nutrition, water and sanitation practices, mosquito net coverage, food security, and coping strategies. Results indicated a medium level of global acute malnutrition (cGAM) among children under five (9.1 percent), persistent stunting (40.7 percent), and maternal malnutrition. Improvements were noted in complementary feeding practices and health program coverage, though challenges remain in dietary diversity, exclusive breastfeeding, and malaria prevention. Households reported high access to protected water sources and soap, with average water collection per person per day reaching 29.9 liters, above the UNHCR post-emergency standard. However, only 59.2 percent of households met the standard using protected containers and treated sources exclusively.