The number of Ethiopians fleeing across the border into Kenya has surged to 50,000, up sharply from 36,000 reported just three days earlier, as sporadic gunfire continued to be heard from the Ethiopian side of the border on Thursday and Friday morning.
The Moyale refugees Ethiopia Kenya crisis, now in its tenth day, has seen an Associated Press journalist stationed on the Kenyan side record bursts of gunfire on October 30, confirming that fighting in the disputed Ethiopian border town of Moyale remains active despite relative calm on the Kenyan side.
A town divided, a border overwhelmed
Tensions began on October 18 after a Somali regional flag was raised in an area administered by Oromia regional state, sparking clashes between communities. Moyale is a divided town — one side administered by Oromia, the other by Somali region — and the flag became the spark for fighting that has now displaced tens of thousands.
Trucks carrying food and fuel remain stranded on both sides of the border crossing, disrupting trade. ACLED analysis reports nine killed on the Ethiopian side and eight injured on the Kenyan side from stray bullets. The International Organization for Migration said arrival figures remain fluid and could rise further overnight.
An appeal for $8.9 million
Kenya Red Cross Upper Eastern Region head Malik Adan said the biggest camp, relocated out of town, now holds about 5,000 people, mostly women and children. Marsabit County Governor Mohamud Ali visited the Odda Mission Church school, where 4,800 refugees are sheltering across five camps.
United Nations agencies are appealing for 1.16 billion Kenyan shillings ($8.9 million) to support refugees over the next three months. UNHCR’s representative in Kenya, Fatima Mohammed-Cole, said the agency is working with IOM and UNICEF to mobilise emergency relief supplies, including household items and temporary shelter for 12,000 people. IOM’s chief of mission, Nomagugu Ncube, said the government and partners are planning a response covering up to 80,000 people in anticipation of further arrivals.
The first baby has been born in the Moyale camp. For the families sheltering there, the crisis is no longer about a flag — it is about food, shelter and whether the gunfire across the border stops before the numbers climb again.
