Figure 2. Key findings: Assets, livelihoods and hardship Myanmar and Bangladesh. The study also looks at economic hardship and the coping strategies of refugee households, presenting new evidence on the cost of living in the camps, income sources and indebtedness, remittances, and the equivocal role of dowry payments. It includes data on the gendered implications of displacement, mobility, and economic hardship. LOST ASSETS INCOME VS. EXPENSES BDT 7,978 The study addresses important knowledge gaps by emphasizing the vantage point of camp households. It is based on a representative survey of 1,611 camp households and 50 in-depth interviews with camp residents. Respondents were asked to share information about their family members in other countries and the livelihood circumstances they face in the camps. Field research took place from August 2019 to January 2020. Average selfreported household expenses3 17% Only of households have remaining assets or property in Myanmar that a family member is looking aft er The data presented in this report will be useful to affected Rohingya communities, governments, humanitarian and development agencies and those in the international community working to alleviate the Rohingya refugee crisis. It presents in greater detail data summarized in an initial policy brief released in May 2020, Beyond Relief: Securing Livelihoods and Agency for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh. BDT 2,648 Average selfreported income (not including aid) SAVINGS 95% of households This work was commissioned as part of the X-Border Local Research Network, a research program aimed at developing a better understanding of border regions that experience conflict or fragility. The X-Border Local Research Network is a partnership between The Asia Foundation, the Carnegie Middle East Center, and the Rift Valley Institute. It is supported by UK aid from the UK government. state cash savings are under BDT 5,000 80% have no cash DEBT savings at all KEY FINDINGS: FAMILY SEPARATION AND MOBILITY 74% of households are More than half of camp households (53 percent) have immediate family members living elsewhere. They are less likely to have a relative in Myanmar (29 percent) than in another country (39 percent) (figure 1).2 Nineteen percent of camp households have a family member who is currently incarcerated. currently in debt. The average amount owed is BDT 13, 923, or over five times the average monthly income Though many separated families stay in close contact for years, survey data shows that the frequency of communication amongst fractured families tends to diminish as separation becomes protracted. Internet restrictions in Myanmar and Bangladesh present an additional barrier to communication. KEY FINDINGS: ASSETS, LIVELIHOODS, AND HARDSHIP Most refugees have lost everything in the exodus and have little or no capital. Only 17 percent of camp households still have assets or property in Myanmar that a trusted family member is looking after (figure 2). Some arrived in the camps with assets they could carry, such as gold and cash, but these have mostly dwindled. Four households in five have no cash savings at all. Remittances do play a role in mitigating hardship: 21 percent of households have received a remittance in the past 12 months, and for more than half of those households, these transfers constitute half or more of their annual income. Separation also causes difficulty, however. In interviews, many camp residents described the stress of constantly worrying about their loved ones far away. Camp households estimate the cost of living at 7,978 taka per month on average. Aid contributes to meeting some of these needs: the value of food aid received by a family of 7