Approximately 35,000 Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya following deadly fighting near the border town of Moyale, according to Kenyan authorities, as humanitarian organisations struggle to provide shelter, food, water and medical assistance to displaced families.
Marsabit County Commissioner Stanley Kamande said around 15,000 people were staying in temporary camps, while another 20,000 had sought refuge with local families and communities.
The estimate, reported by the Kenya News Agency on October 25 and followed by additional regional reporting on October 26, represents a sharp increase from the more than 14,000 displaced people counted earlier by the Kenya Red Cross.
The figures are estimates from different reporting periods and sources, rather than a final reconciled registration total.
Fighting erupted in Moyale last week amid tensions between communities associated with Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regional states.
The clashes reportedly involved armed groups and regional security personnel, with heavy gunfire damaging buildings and disrupting commercial activity.
Reuters previously confirmed at least nine deaths through a hospital official, although the latest overall casualty toll remains uncertain.
The violence has also disrupted trade along the Kenya–Ethiopia border, with trucks unable to cross and businesses near the border closing because of insecurity.
On the Kenyan side, emergency workers have established temporary shelters and distributed essential supplies to people who fled with few belongings.
The Kenya Red Cross has warned that the rapid influx is putting severe pressure on available resources.
Humanitarian officials have appealed for additional drinking water, sanitation facilities, tents, blankets and food.
Local health authorities also reported three suspected measles cases among displaced people, who were isolated pending laboratory results. Those infections have not been confirmed.
Kenyan officials said the overcrowding of temporary camps could increase the risk of communicable diseases if water and sanitation services are not expanded.
Residents and local leaders have called for intervention to restore security and prevent further displacement.
By Monday, October 26, some residents reported that the intensity of gunfire had eased, although the situation remained fragile.
The fighting near Moyale is separate from the deadly attacks against Orthodox Christian communities reported in the Arsi Zone of Oromia.
The humanitarian emergency illustrates how localised violence can quickly produce consequences across national borders, disrupting livelihoods and placing additional pressure on neighbouring communities.
For Kenyan authorities and humanitarian organisations, the immediate challenge is to provide adequate assistance while establishing a more complete picture of the number of displaced people and the security situation across the border.
