Over 14,000 flee Ethiopia clashes into Kenya as death toll feared to rise
- Kenya Red Cross warns of worsening food, water and sanitation shortages as thousands seek refuge in border town of Moyale
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- Kenya Red Cross warns of worsening food, water and sanitation shortages as thousands seek refuge in border town of Moyale
By Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - More than 14,000 Ethiopians have fled deadly fighting in southern Ethiopia into neighboring Kenya, humanitarian officials said on Saturday, noting that more than a dozen people have been killed in clashes between rival communities.
"We urgently need more well-wishers to support us with food and water. There is also a need for sanitary supplies and more toilets to avert diarrheal diseases," Malik Adan, Kenya Red Cross head of the Upper Eastern region, told reporters.
The Kenya Red Cross said more than 10,900 displaced people were being accommodated at six temporary camps in the Kenyan border town of Moyale, while another 4,000 were staying with relatives and host families.
The figures mark a sharp increase from Friday, when Marsabit County Commissioner Stanley Kamande said more than 2,000 Ethiopians had crossed into Kenya following the outbreak of violence on Wednesday.
Residents reported on social media that heavy gunfire and shelling continued from both sides of the conflict, leaving Kenya as the only refuge for many civilians fleeing the violence.
The fighting involves Oromo and Somali communities in Ethiopia's southern border region, where a dispute over the display of the Somali Regional State flag in an area administered by Oromia has fueled tensions. Both are federal regions of Ethiopia.
At least nine deaths were reported on Friday, but there are fears that more than a dozen people may have been killed as heavy fighting continues, according to humanitarian officials.
The Kenya Red Cross has distributed tents, blankets, sleeping mats and other essential supplies while providing nutritional assistance to children and breastfeeding mothers.
Local authorities have pledged additional food supplies, including rice and beans, but humanitarian officials warn that available resources may not meet the needs of the growing displaced population.
Moyale, a major crossing between the two East African countries, lies approximately 780 kilometers (485 miles) north of Nairobi, Kenya's capital, and 775 kilometers (482 miles) south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, by road.
The continued fighting has disrupted cross-border trade and raised concerns about further displacement.
Andrew Wasike