Cox's Bazar: Joint Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) Analysis Data of Rohingya and Host Community (October 2019)

In successive waves over four decades, Rohingya refugees have been fleeing to Bangladesh from Rakhine State, Myanmar, where they have suffered systematic, ongoing persecution. Since August 2017, an estimated 745,000 Rohingya refugees have fled into Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, increasing the total number of Rohingya refugees to more than 900,000. Most of the newly-arrived refugees have settled in hilly, formerly-forested areas that are vulnerable to landslides and flash-flooding in monsoon season, and rely heavily on humanitarian assistance to cover their basic needs. As the crisis moves beyond the initial emergency phase, comprehensive information on the needs and vulnerabilities of affected populations is needed in order to inform the design and implementation of effective inter-sectoral programming.

To this aim, a comprehensive Joint Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (J-MSNA) was conducted among the host community to support humanitarian planning and enhance the ability of operational partners to meet the strategic aims of donors and coordinating bodies. The J-MSNA was conducted in support of the 2019 Rohingya Crisis MSNA Strategy, with the specific objectives of (1) Providing a comprehensive evidence base of household-level multi-sectoral needs for the 2020 Joint Response Plan; and (2) Providing the basis for a joint multi-stakeholder analysis process.

The full terms of reference for the assessment can be found here: https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/2019/07/Rohingya-Crisis-Bangladesh-Joint-MSNA----In-Depth-Assessment-Concept-Note-%28July-2019%29.pdf. The J-MSNA was implemented and coordinated through the MSNA Technical Working Group of the Information Management and Assessment Working Group (IMAWG), led by the Inter-Sector Coordination Group and comprised of the following members: UNHCR, IOM Needs and Population Monitoring (NPM), ACAPS, WFP VAM, Translators without Borders, and REACH.