UN agencies appeal for $ 8.9 million for Ethiopians fleeing into Kenya

UN agencies are appealing for $8.9 million to address life-saving needs over the next three months as tens of thousands of people flee clashes in Ethiopia and cross into northern Kenya.

This appeal was jointly issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Children's Fund, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Programme. It aims to support up to 50,000 people, with plans to respond to the needs of up to 80,000 individuals in anticipation of further arrivals.

In a separate humanitarian update released on the same day in Nairobi, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the security situation on the Ethiopian side of Moyale remains volatile. 

Newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers have described widespread damage to homes and neighborhoods.

"People sheltering near the border are facing heightened protection risks, and humanitarian partners are collaborating with local authorities in Kenya to relocate them to safer locations," OCHA stated.

Fighting in Ethiopia's Moyale area, which began on October 18 and escalated into armed clashes on October 22, has continued to displace residents internally and drive cross-border movements into Moyale Sub-County in Marsabit County, northern Kenya.

According to county authorities, an estimated 50,000 people had crossed into Kenya as of November 3, with the majority finding shelter among host communities on the Kenyan side of Moyale. Women and children represent the vast majority of the newcomers.

OCHA also noted that humanitarian access remains constrained in some border areas, including Somare, near the Kenya-Ethiopia border.