Kenyan rights body says about 40,000 fleeing Ethiopia unrest have reached Moyale, calls for urgent aid

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said on 27 October that about 40,000 people fleeing unrest on the Ethiopian side of the border have sought refuge in Moyale, in Marsabit County, northern Kenya. It called for an urgent humanitarian response.

More than 15,000 of them are in eight temporary shelters, and over 20,000 others are staying with relatives and friends, the commission said. Four women have reportedly given birth at Manyatta and Bitiye. Sites include St Mary's Catholic Church, Harhosha Secondary School, Manyatta Burji, Sessi and Lanzi Mosque Hospital.

The commission listed food, clean water, shelter, sanitation and medical care as the main needs. It warned that persistent rainfall could worsen conditions and raise the risk of disease. "The influx is placing significant pressure on host communities and available resources," it said.

KNCHR asked the Kenyan government to coordinate with Ethiopian authorities and humanitarian agencies so that people can cross the border safely, are received humanely and can reach essential services. It also asked the national government and the Marsabit County Government to send medical teams and supplies, and asked UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and the Kenya Red Cross to mobilise emergency supplies.

Security agencies should maintain public safety while making sure border screening is lawful, proportionate and non-discriminatory, the commission said. "The Government must protect asylum seekers and refugees," it said, in line with Kenya's international obligations, including non-refoulement, the principle against returning people to places where they face persecution or serious harm.

The commission said the situation on both sides of the border was calm as of the morning of 27 October, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The site said buildings were torched and several people injured in the unrest, which disrupted transport between Moyale and both Addis Ababa and Nairobi. Some businesses and schools had closed.

Reuters reported on 22 October that hundreds of Ethiopians had crossed into Kenya after fighting in Moyale, a town that straddles the frontier. The Ethiopian side lies in the south of the Oromiya region. It was not clear what had started the fighting.

Stanley Kamande, the Marsabit County Commissioner, said then: "We have hundreds of people from Ethiopia, mainly children and women." Many were staying with relatives and well-wishers in villages on the Kenyan side, he said. The Kenya Red Cross was assessing how many people were affected and what they needed. A Red Cross official, Ibrae John, said: "No camp is ready to host those displaced, but we shall most definitely work on it."