An estimated 50,000 Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya to escape deadly clashes in southern Ethiopia, with the UN migration agency warning that further arrivals could strain resources in border communities.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday that thousands of people had arrived in Moyale, Marsabit County, where they are being hosted by local families or accommodated at five temporary displacement sites.

With the situation still unfolding, the Kenyan government and humanitarian partners are preparing to assist up to 80,000 people amid fears that the influx could grow in the coming days.

"The situation remains fluid, and the number of arrivals could increase in the coming days," IOM Kenya Chief of Mission Nomagugu Ncube said.

Ncube said supporting displaced families and the host communities accommodating thousands of new arrivals was an urgent priority.

The agency warned that those fleeing urgently require essential supplies, clean water, emergency shelter, healthcare, sanitation facilities and protection services.

The influx follows a week of deadly intercommunal violence involving Ethiopia's Somali and Oromo communities in and around the border town of Moyale. Media reports have linked the clashes, which have reportedly left scores dead on both sides, to tensions surrounding a flag dispute.