As many as 50,000 people have crossed from Ethiopia into the Kenyan border town of Moyale in a week, local authorities said, while the UN refugee agency UNHCR said the count was still being verified.
The agency, UNHCR, said the figure was still being verified and could change as more people arrive, The Star reported on Thursday. UNHCR, UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme have launched a joint appeal for $8.9 million to assist up to 50,000 people over three months.
Fighting broke out on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Moyale town on the Ethiopian side of the border, Reuters reported. By Thursday, Oct. 22, hundreds of people, mainly children and women, had crossed into Kenya, and Kenya Red Cross official Ibrae John said no camp was ready to host them.
How the Moyale Arrival Count Grew
The table below sets out each published figure, drawn from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and The Star, which cited UNHCR.
| Date | Source | Figure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 22 | Marsabit County Commissioner Stanley Kamande, via Reuters | Hundreds | Mainly children and women |
| Oct. 27 | United Nations, via AP | 36,000 | People who fled violence in Ethiopia into Kenya |
| Oct. 27 | KNCHR | More than 40,000 | People who crossed into Moyale |
| Oct. 29 | Local authorities, via UNHCR and The Star | Up to 50,000 | Still being verified and may change |
Why the figures differ
The three larger numbers come from different bodies. The UN figure of 36,000 and the KNCHR figure of more than 40,000 were both issued on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The 50,000 figure is from local authorities and was reported two days later with UNHCR’s caution that it was still being checked.
It was not immediately clear whether the figures count the same population or use the same method. KNCHR said more than 15,000 people were in eight temporary shelters and more than 20,000 were staying with relatives and friends. Those two groups add up to more than 35,000 of the more than 40,000 KNCHR counted.
UNHCR said movements had been reported since Oct. 22. It said some people were with relatives and host families, while others were in schools and churches.
What set off the fighting
The AP described a territorial dispute between the Oromia and Somali regional administrations in Ethiopia, aggravated by the killing of a 13-year-old girl in an area administered by the Somali region.
Citizen Digital reported that the girl was killed on Oct. 18. It also reported a dispute over a Somali Regional State flag displayed at an office in an area run by Oromia, and said fighting had spread to the Gumi Eldallo, Wachile and Arero districts.
This is separate from the tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, covered in our explainer.
What the $8.9 million covers
The appeal covers food, shelter, water and sanitation, registration, protection services and child protection, according to The Star. The Star’s headline put the sum at Sh1.16 billion.
UNHCR said it had deployed an emergency team and was mobilising household items and temporary shelter materials for nearly 12,000 people. It is coordinating with the Department of Refugee Services and county authorities.
Food remains the most urgent need, alongside safe drinking water, emergency shelter, sanitation and health care.
UNHCR, quoted by The StarResponse on the ground
Kenya Red Cross launched an emergency relief operation, Citizen Digital reported on Oct. 23. It targeted 1,000 households first with tents, blankets, sleeping mats, jerrycans, kitchen sets, Super Cereal for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, first aid and family tracing.
Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Ahmed Idris said: "Our priority is to make sure every family arriving in Moyale is safe, sheltered and treated with dignity."
By Tuesday the Red Cross said the displaced were in six camps and villages within host communities, the AP reported. It said more food was reaching the camps and volunteers were preparing and serving hot meals every day.
KNCHR listed shelter sites including St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Harhosha Secondary School, Manyatta Burji, Sessi and Lanzi Mosque Hospital, and said births had been reported at Manyatta and Bitiye. It asked the government and the county for medical teams, water and sanitation, shelter and protection for women, girls and unaccompanied children. It also called for lawful, non-discriminatory border screening and respect for non-refoulement.
Pressure on Marsabit host communities
Marsabit County leaders told the AP the influx could overwhelm host communities, which already face food and water shortages worsened by climate change. Legislators warned the fighting could spread across the border. Police reported three stray-bullet incidents in Moyale in the week before Oct. 27, the AP reported.
Moyale is about 780 km from Nairobi by road, according to Citizen Digital.
What happens next
UNHCR is verifying the numbers and working with authorities to find safer sites farther from the border, The Star reported. The joint appeal runs for three months. KNCHR has also called for coordination between the Kenyan and Ethiopian governments.
