Violence in Ethiopia forces 50,000 to seek refuge in Kenya
Since October 22, escalating clashes in Ethiopian Moyale have forced up to 50,000 people to flee across the border into Kenya. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and partners are providing emergency relief amid urgent needs for food, water, sanitation, and healthcare. The conflict stems from a regional dispute between Oromo and Somali communities.
Up to 50,000 Ethiopians have fled into Kenya since clashes escalated in the Ethiopian town of Moyale, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as of November 10. This number has risen from an earlier estimate of 36,000.
The fighting, which began around October 18, is rooted in a longstanding boundary dispute between the Oromo Borana and Somali Garre communities in Moyale, a town divided between Oromia and Somali regional administrations.
Many displaced individuals are staying with relatives or host communities, while others have taken refuge in temporary shelters such as schools and churches. Fatuma Ahmed, a displaced person at Kenya’s Al Huda camp, shared that she fled after her house was burned and is now safe despite limited resources.
UNHCR emergency teams, in collaboration with the Kenyan government, the Department of Refugee Services, IOM, UNICEF, WFP, Kenya Red Cross Society, and other partners, are providing emergency relief and working to prevent disease outbreaks.
Humanitarian agencies have jointly appealed for $8.9 million to support up to 50,000 people with lifesaving resources including food, safe drinking water, sanitation, and healthcare.
