Moyale: Ethiopian mothers and children who fled renewed violence in their home country are facing growing humanitarian difficulties in northern Kenya, where overcrowded shelters, inadequate food and limited access to essential services are making their lives increasingly difficult. Thousands of people have crossed the border into Kenya to escape fighting between Somali and Oromo communities in southern Ethiopia, rooted in a longstanding territorial dispute between the country's Somali and Oromia regional administrations. Although families have found relative safety, many are struggling to meet their most basic needs.
The situation is particularly difficult for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, newborn babies and young children, who require regular food, healthcare and protection. Among those affected is Shukria Dalacha, 26, who crossed into Kenya with her newborn daughter, Sijra Bonaiyo, when the baby was just five days old. Dalacha said she fled on foot during the night, carrying very few belongings.
Since arriving in Kenya, she has been sleeping on the floor and relying on food provided to displaced families. She has expressed concern that inadequate food is affecting her ability to produce enough breast milk for her newborn daughter. Her experience reflects the difficulties facing many mothers who have escaped violence but remain uncertain about how they will feed and care for their children.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, local authorities estimated that up to 50,000 people had crossed into Kenya by late October. However, the exact number of displaced people remains uncertain as registration and verification continue.
UNHCR had profiled approximately 14,000 people by November 6. This figure represents those who had undergone the agency's profiling process and does not indicate the total number of people who have crossed into Kenya. Many displaced families are staying in temporary shelters, public institutions or with relatives and host families in Kenya's Marsabit County. The sudden arrival of thousands of people has placed additional pressure on communities that already have limited resources.
Some families are living in extremely crowded conditions. In one case, approximately 30 displaced people were sharing a single room in a Kenyan host's home. At the Al Huda temporary camp, families have been receiving communal meals while waiting for registration and other assistance. Humanitarian workers are also distributing blankets, sleeping mats, drinking water, mosquito nets and basic household supplies.
Henok Ochalla, a senior emergency coordinator with UNHCR, has warned that limited financial resources could prevent humanitarian organisations from meeting the needs of the growing number of displaced people. UNHCR, the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme have jointly appealed for $8.9 million to support up to 50,000 people over three months.
The proposed assistance includes food, emergency shelter, clean water, sanitation, healthcare and protection services, particularly for children and other vulnerable groups. However, the amount of funding received against the appeal has not been clearly established. The displacement follows renewed violence in the border areas of southern Ethiopia involving Somali and Oromo communities.
Conflict monitoring organisation ACLED traced the latest escalation to an October 18 confrontation involving the opening of an administrative office and the raising of the Somali regional flag in a disputed area. The confrontation was followed by clashes involving Somali regional police and Oromo militias. An Oromo girl aged 13 was killed during the unrest.
Protests and further clashes followed, spreading to several areas around Moyale. The violence forced families to leave their homes and seek safety across the international border. The dispute reflects longstanding disagreements over territorial boundaries and administrative control between Ethiopia's Somali and Oromia regional administrations.
Kenyan authorities have also increased security measures along the border in response to the violence and the arrival of displaced families. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja visited Moyale on November 6 and announced additional security arrangements to protect residents and monitor the border. Approximately 10,000 displaced people were still living in temporary shelters and public institutions around Moyale at that time.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has also expressed concern about the conditions facing displaced families. It has called for greater protection of women, children, older people and other vulnerable groups, alongside improved access to food, clean water, sanitation and healthcare. The humanitarian emergency is developing in a region already affected by food insecurity and limited access to essential services. The arrival of thousands of additional people is increasing pressure on local resources and making assistance more difficult to provide.
Reports in early November indicated that fighting was continuing in parts of the Ethiopian border region, although the latest reports have not established the current intensity of the clashes. Concerns remain about further displacement and the safety of communities living near the border. The number of people who have returned to Ethiopia has not been established.
For many families, escaping the violence has not brought an end to their suffering. Mothers are still struggling to feed their children, newborn babies need proper care, and displaced communities remain dependent on humanitarian assistance. Without sufficient financial support, humanitarian organisations may struggle to provide food, shelter and essential services to the thousands of people who have fled Ethiopia.