Kenya Red Cross Society has begun emergency aid in Moyale for families fleeing clashes in Ethiopia, with its initial response targeting 1,000 households as teams assess what arrivals need.
Kenyan police said hundreds of Ethiopians entered Kenya through several points in Moyale. Most were women, children and young people fleeing fighting in the Ethiopian town amid tensions between the Oromia and Somali regional states. Marsabit County Commissioner Stanley Kamande said some families had found lodging with relatives or residents of the area. The response follows an earlier account of families displaced by fighting around Moyale.
Red Cross teams have started setting up temporary shelters and handing out tents, blankets, sleeping mats, jerrycans and kitchen sets. They are also providing fortified porridge flour and first aid, helping separated relatives reconnect, and assessing needs. The organization said its response is focused in particular on women, children, older people and people with disabilities.
Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Dr. Ahmed Idris said, “Our priority is to make sure every family arriving in Moyale is safe, sheltered and treated with dignity.”
Anadolu Agency reported that the clashes came amid tensions over displaying the Somali Regional State flag, while saying their precise cause was unclear. A Kenyan police report cited by The Associated Press said a local woman was shot in the neck and taken to a private hospital; she was reported stable after the bullet was removed.
The Red Cross said teams are continuing to assess arriving families’ needs as the aid response proceeds.
