More than 40,000 Ethiopians fleeing unrest arrive in Kenya’s Moyale
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen
More than 40,000 people have fled unrest in Ethiopia and crossed the border into Moyale, Kenya, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. In a statement published on 27 October, it called on national and local authorities to provide healthcare, water, sanitation and shelter for the refugees, Citizen reports.
More than 40,000 people crossed the border into Moyale, Kenya, after fleeing unrest in Ethiopia, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said on Tuesday, 27 October, calling for urgent humanitarian assistance. More than 15,000 are living in eight temporary shelters, while more than 20,000 others are staying with relatives or friends, according to the KNCHR.
The commission named St Mary’s Catholic Church, Harhosha Secondary School, Manyatta Burji, Sessi and the Lanzi Mosque Hospital among the sites receiving people. It reported that two women had given birth in Manyatta and two others in Bitiye, and called for medical teams and supplies for emergency care, childbirth, vaccination, nutrition and disease surveillance.
The KNCHR also called on the national authorities and the Marsabit County Government to provide clean water, sanitation facilities, waste disposal services and adequate shelter. It urged Kenya to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they risk persecution or serious harm, and called on the UN refugee agency, the International Organization for Migration and the Kenya Red Cross to mobilise emergency assistance.
The influx follows hundreds of Ethiopians fleeing tensions into Kenya through Moyale, reported on 23 October. The KNCHR is calling on Nairobi and Addis Ababa to coordinate the management of cross-border movements and strengthen protection for women, unaccompanied children, people with disabilities and older people.
