Humanitarian organisations in Moyale, northern Kenya, are urgently seeking funding to assist the tens of thousands of people fleeing violence in southern Ethiopia.
Approximately 50,000 individuals have crossed into Moyale, a border town where many are struggling to secure food, water, and shelter. “Families who fled are facing serious shortages of food, water and adequate shelter, while the communities hosting them already have limited resources,” stated Nomagugu Ncube, Kenya chief of mission for the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Most of those displaced are staying with relatives or local residents, putting additional strain on already scarce resources. Others have sought refuge in schools and temporary sites, with some forced to sleep outdoors.
This wave of displacement follows recent violence tied to a longstanding dispute between Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regions over land and administrative control. On 18 October, the raising of a Somali flag at an administrative office in Ethiopia’s Moyale led to gunfire between local militias, resulting in the death of a 13-year-old girl and igniting protests and further unrest.
The fighting has spread across seven districts, claiming more than a dozen lives and prompting mass flight into Kenya. The Kenyan government is collaborating with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, to register new arrivals and assess their needs, with the Kenya Red Cross also providing support.
While the Kenya Red Cross initially reported 36,000 displaced individuals, the IOM has since increased its estimate to 50,000. The number may rise as further assessments are conducted, and an official count is still pending.
