Ethiopia border clashes displace more than 50,000 as families seek safety in Kenya

Clashes around Ethiopia's border town of Moyale have displaced more than 50,000 people, according to a Kenya Red Cross estimate, as families flee into Kenya and nearby communities struggle to provide food and shelter. The overall figure has not been independently confirmed.

The violence is rooted in a long-running dispute over land and administrative control between Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regions. Tensions over flags in contested areas have intensified the conflict. Refugee officials say gunfire can still be heard, raising fears that more people will flee.

An earlier government-led assessment put displacement at 35,950 as of 24 October, with about 25,000 people staying with host families and nearly 11,000 in temporary sites. The higher Red Cross estimate includes both groups. A separate police figure of roughly 10,000 people in temporary shelters does not cover those hosted by relatives and other households.

Most arrivals are women and children, according to the UN refugee agency. Families need shelter, food, bedding and mosquito nets, while crowded conditions and diarrhoea have increased health concerns. Ethiopian Red Cross teams have also delivered emergency household supplies to 1,000 displaced families inside Ethiopia.

Host communities face rising pressure, with some households feeding 20 or 30 people instead of five or six. Traders report disrupted truck movements and higher prices. Kenya says it is reinforcing border security and holding talks with Ethiopia's federal government. Its police chief reported that a stray bullet killed a Kenyan and that an Ethiopian died from gunshot wounds in Kenya.