A spiral-bound guide describing a simple step-by-step procedures for carrying out a rapid survey of nutritional status in emergency situations in the Eastern Mediterranean countries, where natural and man-made disasters have been common. Emphasis is placed on the steps required to make quick but reliable estimates as a basis for subsequent action. Throughout, the guide checklists, model forms, reference charts, and tables are used to facilitate rapid data collection in emergency situations. Decisions concerning the recommended minimum sample size, survey participants, and the level of analysis needed were made with the goal of striking a balance between the methodologically appropriate and the logistically feasible. The recommended methods are based on simple anthropometric data and limited to children of preschool age. The result is a series of steps, appropriate to field conditions, that can be followed by individuals with little statistical or essential data needed for immediate decisions and interventions. The guide has 8 chapters, moving stepwise from selection of the surveys subjects and sample, through collection of data on weight-for-height, to the recording, analysis, and interpretation of results. Further practical guidance is provided in a series of 8 annexes.