Thousands Flee Ethiopia Fighting Into Kenya as Aid Shortages Deepen Crisis

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Tens of thousands of people have fled fighting between regional forces in southern Ethiopia into neighbouring Kenya, where shortages of food and medical care are worsening a humanitarian crisis along the border.

The violence around Ethiopia’s Moyale town has forced families to abandon their homes and cross into northern Kenya, with many arriving in urgent need of assistance.

Aid agencies reported that displaced families were struggling with hunger and limited access to healthcare, while cuts to humanitarian funding threatened efforts to provide emergency relief.

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, earlier reported that about 36,000 people had crossed into Kenya to escape the violence, many of them women and children.

The influx is placing additional pressure on communities around Moyale, where access to essential services is already limited and humanitarian organisations face growing demands for food, shelter and medical assistance.

Moyale, a key trading town straddling the Kenya-Ethiopia border, has experienced recurring tensions linked to ethnic rivalries, political disputes and competition over land and water.

The latest fighting adds to instability in the Horn of Africa, where conflict, displacement and climate-related pressures have left millions of people dependent on humanitarian assistance.

Kenya, which already hosts large refugee populations from Somalia, South Sudan and other neighbouring countries is facing another challenge with the new arrivals as international aid agencies grapple with funding constraints.

The violence also threatens trade and movement along the Moyale corridor, an important commercial route connecting Ethiopia with Kenya and the wider East African region.

UNHCR has said it is working with Kenyan authorities, other UN agencies and humanitarian partners to coordinate assistance for those fleeing the clashes.

However, reduced humanitarian funding could limit the response as more displaced families seek safety across the border.

The number of casualties from the fighting remains unclear, while the humanitarian situation could deteriorate further if insecurity prevents families from returning home.