Ethiopia violence: 50,000 Ethiopian refugees flee to Kenya
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Africanews
According to UNHCR, up to 50,000 people have crossed the border from the Moyale area, up from 36,000 previously recorded. Housed in temporary shelters and at the Al Huda camp, they lack water and housing, according to local authorities.
Up to 50,000 Ethiopian refugees have crossed the border into Kenya, up from 36,000 previously recorded, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Registration and verification operations are continuing.
The displaced are being housed in temporary shelters, including schools and churches, or are staying with relatives and local communities. At the Al Huda camp, conditions remain precarious, particularly in terms of access to water and housing. Fatuma Ahmed, who has been displaced for twelve days, says her homes were set on fire and that she was separated from some members of her family during the flight. To meet the needs, humanitarian partners have launched a funding appeal of $8.9 million for some 50,000 people, with UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, the World Food Programme and the Kenya Red Cross.
The violence is linked to the confrontation of 18 October over the opening of a Somali regional administrative office and the deployment of its flag in a disputed area of Moyale, in Ethiopia. The town, shared between the Oromia and Somali regional administrations, is at the heart of a longstanding territorial dispute between the Borana community, of Oromo origin, and the Garre community, of Somali origin. On 27 October, 36,000 people had already fled clashes in southern Ethiopia.
