Up to 50,000 Ethiopians flee to Kenya as clashes escalate

Ongoing clashes on the Ethiopian side have forced thousands of people to cross into Kenya seeking safety since 22 October. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is closely monitoring the situation on the Kenya–Ethiopia border in Moyale. Up to 50,000 Ethiopians Flee to Kenya as Clashes Escalate

Up to an estimated 50,000 people have crossed into Kenya, the U.N. refugee agency said Wednesday, citing local authorities, up from 36,000 reported earlier. Registration and verification were continuing, the agency said.

While some of those fleeing are staying with relatives and host communities, others have sought refuge in temporary shelters like schools and churches.

Fatuma Ahmed, one of the displaced persons in Kenya's Al Huda camp said that she sought refuge because she was separated from her family while fleeing after her house was burnt in violence.

"But here I am safe. I have somewhere to sleep even if it is on the floor. We also have water even if it is not enough," said Fatuma.

UNHCR emergency teams in Moyale have been working closely with the Government of Kenya, through the Department of Refugee Services (DRS) and county authorities, alongside IOM, UNICEF, WFP, the Kenya Red Cross Society and other humanitarian partners for emergency relief.

UNHCR representative in Kenya, Fatima Mohammed-Cole thanked the Kenyan government for its response and said that the humanitarian workers have been trying to manage a huge number of people and prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases.

While food, safe drinking water, sanitation and health care remain the most urgent needs, humanitarian partners such as UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP have jointly sought $8.9 million to support up to 50,000 people with lifesaving resources.

The conflict monitoring organization ACLED traced the latest fighting to an Oct. 18 confrontation over the opening of a Somali regional administration office and the raising of its flag in a disputed part of Ethiopian Moyale.

The Ethiopian town is divided between the Oromia and Somali regional administrations. The fighting is rooted in a longstanding boundary dispute between the Borana, who are Oromo, and the Garre, who are Somali, according to ACLED’s senior East Africa analyst, Jalale Getachew Birru.