Hundreds of Ethiopians, mainly women and children, have fled into Kenya following escalating violence in the border town of Moyale.
Kenyan police reported the arrivals on October 22, 2026, as humanitarian groups mobilized emergency assistance.
The new arrivals entered through multiple crossing points, including Sessi, Kore, Biashara, Foundation, and Miti.
The Kenya Red Cross said its initial response would cover 1,000 households and that assessment teams were working to determine the number of affected people and their needs.
Temporary shelters and essential supplies were being arranged as authorities assessed the scale of displacement.
Flag Dispute Sparks Violence
The violence followed a dispute over the raising of the Somali Regional State flag at an administrative office in the Ethiopian town.
Reports linked the confrontation to disagreements between Oromo and Somali communities over regional administration and contested territory.
According to Kenyans. co.
ke, a 13-year-old girl was shot dead during an altercation three days before its October 22 report.
The circumstances of her death remain disputed, with some residents accusing local police and others saying she was caught in crossfire.
Her death prompted protests demanding justice and action over longstanding territorial and administrative disputes.
Transport services connecting Moyale with Addis Ababa and Nairobi were reportedly suspended on October 19 and 20 as tensions intensified.
Witnesses described businesses and several schools closing in affected areas.
Local elders and security officials reportedly reached an agreement on October 20 to remove the Somali Regional State flag from the disputed office.
The flag was taken down on October 21, but the decision prompted counterprotests among some residents in Kebele, according to Kenyans.
co. ke.
The Kenya Red Cross outlined its immediate humanitarian response in a statement issued on October 22.
"The response will initially reach 1,000 households," the organization said.
The latest clashes have renewed concerns about recurring violence in the region, where disputes over land ownership and territorial administration have contributed to previous deadly confrontations.
Kenyans. co.
ke reported that clashes in Moyale in December 2018 killed 21 people and injured 61, forcing approximately 5,000 people to flee across the border into Kenya.
In a separate security-related disruption, the 350-kilometer Nagelle Borana-Moyale road had reportedly remained closed for more than two months, forcing some travelers to use alternative routes.
The fighting in Moyale is separate from the larger conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, where government forces are fighting a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front, according to Al Jazeera.
