Joint Multi Sector Needs Assessment: Cox’s Bazar, Rohingya Refugee Response 2021, Host Community

Following the events of August 2017, the Rohingya community were affected by displaced. As of August 2021, 900,000 refugees were residing in 34 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. At the same time, the living conditions in the District of Cox's Bazar are below the national average. The area is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change as well as natural and human-induced hazards, which hinders significant development progress. The needs have been compounded by the refugee influx. The massive increase in households and associated stresses on available resources has led to tensions among the two population groups.

Against this background, a Joint Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (J-MSNA) was conducted to support detailed humanitarian planning, meeting the multi-sectoral needs of affected populations, and to enhance the ability of operational partners to meet the strategic aims of donors and coordinating bodies.

Building on past J-MSNAs and other assessments, the 2021 J-MSNA aimed to provide an accurate snapshot of the situation with the specific objectives of (1) providing a comprehensive evidence base of the diverse multi-sectoral needs among refugee populations and the host community to inform the 2022 Joint Response Plan; (2) providing an analysis of how refugee population and host community needs have changed in 2021; and (3) providing the basis for a joint multi-stakeholder analysis process.

A total of 1,118 households were surveyed across the 11 unions of Teknaf and Ukhiya. Households were sampled from the Office of the the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) host community database as well as UNHCR, World Food Programme (WFP) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) beneficiary databases using a stratified random sampling approach, with unions as the strata. Household survey data collection took place between 12 July and 18 August 2021. Each interview was conducted with an adult household representative responding on behalf of the household and its members