Up to 50,000 flee Ethiopia clashes into Kenya, urgently need aid: UN refugee agency

Up to 50,000 people have crossed from Ethiopia into neighboring Kenya since Thursday to escape ongoing clashes near the border, the UN refugee agency said Wednesday, warning of pressing humanitarian needs, Anadolu reports.

UNHCR Representative in Kenya Fatima Mohammed-Cole said in a statement that the estimate came from local authorities and remained subject to verification as people continued to arrive.

Many of those fleeing are women and children. Some are staying with relatives or host communities, while others have taken refuge in schools and churches, she said.

Food is “the most urgent need,” followed by safe drinking water, emergency shelter, sanitation facilities and health care, according to the agency.

UNHCR said it had deployed an emergency response team to the border town of Moyale to coordinate assistance with Kenyan authorities and humanitarian organizations.

The agency is mobilizing household essentials and temporary shelter materials for nearly 12,000 people and preparing to expand its response.

READ: Egypt denies any role in Ethiopian conflict

It is also working with authorities and partners to find safer accommodation farther from the border.

UNHCR said assessments were continuing to determine the scale of protection and humanitarian needs.

The humanitarian crisis follows clashes involving security forces and armed civilians from Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states, particularly among the Oromo Borana and Somali Garre communities.

Both groups inhabit areas around Moyale, where longstanding disputes over administrative boundaries and territorial control have repeatedly fueled tensions.

The latest violence was preceded by a dispute over the raising of the Somali Regional State flag and the opening of a new administrative office in an area of Moyale claimed by Oromia authorities.

Tensions intensified following the killing of a 13-year-old girl on Oct. 18, triggering protests, business closures and further confrontations between the communities.

Heavy fighting erupted on Oct. 22, with regional security forces and armed civilians exchanging gunfire as violence spread to several settlements in southern Ethiopia.

Representatives of the rival communities have accused each other of provoking the clashes, while residents have reported deaths, injuries and the destruction of homes and businesses.

OPINION: Why Ethiopia and Eritrea’s march to war demands global attention