Planning and Development Research

  The northeast part of Bangladesh experienced a flash flood that started on the week of 15 May 2022. The intensity of the flood increased on 18 May 2022 as the major river ‘Surma’ and ‘Kusiara’ started to overflown 140 cm above the danger level. Alongside that, heavy rainfall in that areas and northeastern Indian states was the main cause of this flood. The Sylhet meteorically meteorological department stated that the continuous rain was an effect of Cyclone Asani. It has taken effect among 4 million people across five districts - Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona, and Maulvibazar, while Sylhet and Sunamganj were affected severely. In this flood, around 418,546 people were exposed to inundation, as projected by the EU’s Copernicus Emergency Management Services (CEMS). It is also estimated that over 1.5 million (40%) children were at risk of waterborne diseases, drowning, and malnutrition due to extensive flood water. Their woes coupled with 150,000 families in Sylhet and Sunamgan

Executive Summary The Cost of the Diet assessment in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts in 2018 was conducted to estimate the potential contribution of Suchana programme interventions on household food affordability. This analysis aimed at assessing the degree to which economic constraints might affect poor and very poor households in Sylhet division in North-East Bangladesh (i.e. Suchana beneficiary households in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts) from accessing a nutritious diet. The Cost of the Diet (CotD) method and software was developed by Save the Children, and the analysis can estimate the hypothetical minimum amount of money a typical household would need to purchase their recommended intakes of energy, protein, fat and micronutrients, using locally available foods. Specifically, this assessment set out to answer the following questions: ▪ What is the minimum cost of a nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable diet for typical households in Sylhet division? ▪ What locally

  Suchana: Ending the Cycle of Undernutrition in Bangladesh        I. INTRODUCTION SUCHANA: Ending the cycle of undernutrition in Bangladesh” is a multi-sectoral nutrition programme aims to achieve a significant reduction in stunting amongst children under two years of age in Bangladesh by catalysing support across government and other stakeholders. The programme adopts an integrated approach to nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive intervention to prevent chronic malnutrition within the critical 1,000 days from conception until a child reaches its second birthday. Suchana Context & Rationale Within Bangladesh, although the prevalence of stunting (shortness in stature compared to child’s age) has declined from 51% in 2004 to 36% of children under five in 20141, levels of stunting remain well above WHO and government thresholds. Some six million children are estimated to be chronically malnourished, and uptake of key infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices rem