METHODOLOGY
This mixed-methods study, which took place from August
2019 to January 2020, employs both qualitative and
quantitative techniques. Its findings, recommendations,
and conclusions have been drawn from data collected
through interviews and a representative survey. Because
of the difficulties of obtaining information and conducting
research in northern Rakhine State in Myanmar, the study
focused on Rohingya families living in Bangladesh, and was
undertaken with the permission of responsible authorities.
process to rebalance this intentional overrepresentation.
All data cited in this report is representative of the overall
camp population.
The sampling process was approached in two stages, using
the camp block as the primary sampling unit. For the
first stratum, all seven blocks of the registered camp were
included. For the larger second stratum, a sample of 130
blocks was selected with probability proportional to the
number of households therein, using the most up-to-date
population estimates from July 2019, when the survey was
designed.12 A supplemental sample of 11 additional blocks
was later drawn in order to increase the total amount of
data collected. Within each block, the secondary sampling
unit was a household. To maintain an equal probability
design, a fixed sample size of ten households within
each block was targeted. Because no sampling frame of
households within blocks was available, enumerators were
assigned a random starting point within each block and
instructed to collect data on the 10 households nearest that
point.
People’s own interpretations of the hardships they face—
and their attempts to mitigate them—raise implications for
their own personal security and well-being, as well as for
regional conflict and security dynamics. Thus, the research
focused exclusively on camp families’ own experiences and
views rather than those of other stakeholders. Findings
were distilled from 1,611 surveys and 50 key informant
interviews with camp residents.
SURVEY
Twenty-two Rohingya volunteer enumerators were
recruited to carry out the survey over an eight-week period
between October and December 2019. These enumerators
were chosen for their experience collecting sensitive data
within the camps. The survey was written in both English
and the Myanmar language, but it was conducted orally by
enumerators in the Rohingya language. Because Rohingya
is primarily an oral language, during a one-week training
the enumerators discussed and agreed on standard spoken
translations for each question to ensure consistency and
comprehension. After the week of training, they proceeded
to survey households across 26 refugee camps within the
area known as the “mega-camp” in the Ukhia Upazila
(Subdistrict) of Cox’s Bazar District, near the Myanmar
border.10
All survey respondents were either the head of household
or their spouse. Because most survey questions pertained
to the whole family, respondents were encouraged to ask
other household members to help provide details in case
the primary respondent was unsure, such as on the travel
histories of family members living overseas.
INTERVIEWS
Interviews were conducted with residents of the megacamp in a semistructured format in August 2019, November
2019, and January 2020. Several of the survey enumerators
supported the process as “fixers” and invited interviewees
to participate who had experience with the themes
introduced by the survey. Of the key informant interviews,
18 were with individual women, four were with combined
groups of male and female family members, and 28 were
with individual men. Unlike the surveys, which were
conducted at respondents’ shelters, the interviews were
conducted in a private location due to the sensitivity of the
topics discussed. This made it difficult to achieve a gender
balance, as many Rohingya women customarily refrain
from leaving their shelters, making it difficult to attend the
interview.
A stratified sample design was utilized to conduct the
survey in a manner that ensured inclusion of both new
and registered refugees. The first stratum is composed of
196 registered refugee households, most of whom arrived
in Bangladesh in the early 1990s. The second stratum is
comprised of 1,415 households across the 25 makeshift
camps housing the newly arrived population. Most of the
respondents in the second stratum arrived in Bangladesh
in 2017 and have not been registered as official refugees by
the government of Bangladesh. The camps in which they
live encircle Kutupalong refugee camp, where registered
refugees reside.
Each interview took between one and two and a half hours.
The researchers used a loosely structured question bank
and encouraged interviewees to first share their family
story in detail. Follow-up questions were then posed
to further elucidate the elements most relevant to the
study. The result of these interviews is a rich collection of
multigenerational oral histories that shed light on each
family’s unique circumstances. Names and other identifying
details have been changed or omitted where appropriate to
protect the anonymity of respondents.
Respondents from stratum one, registered refugees, were
represented disproportionately in the overall sample—12
percent, when the actual percentage of registered
households in the mega-camp is 2 percent.11 This was done
to achieve a sample size sufficient to draw meaningful
comparisons with newly arrived camp residents. Weights
were applied to the two strata during the final tabulation
11