Kenya begins registering Ethiopian refugees as Moyale arrivals top 50,000

Kenya begins registering Ethiopian refugees as Moyale arrivals top 50,000 - The registration is aimed at helping identify people with specific needs and inform the provision of protection and humanitarian assistance. (Photo: UNHCR Kenya)

Registration teams are issuing blue wristbands bearing unique identification codes to document arrivals and establish an initial count of displaced people, including children.

Kenyan authorities, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), have begun registering Ethiopian refugees fleeing renewed clashes in the border town of Moyale, as more than 50,000 people have reportedly crossed into Kenya since fighting intensified in late October.

According to Kenyan media reports, the registration exercise began around October 31 at temporary reception sites, including Harhosa and OMC camps in Marsabit County. Registration teams are issuing blue wristbands bearing unique identification codes to document arrivals and establish an initial count of displaced people, including children.

The initial registration will be followed by household profiling and the issuance of assistance cards to help identify families, assess their needs and coordinate humanitarian aid, the reports said.

The influx has placed growing pressure on local resources and humanitarian services, with new arrivals continuing to seek safety across the border. Many are sheltering in temporary sites, including schools, churches and camps such as St. Mary’s, Manyatta Burji and Sessi, while others are staying with relatives or members of host communities.

Humanitarian needs include food, clean water, emergency shelter, sanitation, healthcare and protection services, particularly for women and children.

UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UNICEF and other humanitarian partners are coordinating with Kenya’s Department of Refugee Services and county authorities. Agencies have appealed for approximately $8.9 million (Sh1.1 billion) to support the response over three months.

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The Kenya Red Cross said it has distributed shelter kits, food and other emergency supplies, while Kenyan authorities have heightened security along the border amid reports of stray bullets affecting areas on the Kenyan side.

Ethiopia’s Moyale, a contested border town jointly administered by the Oromia and Somali regional states, has seen longstanding disputes over territory and administrative authority, with some of these disputes in the past leading to recurring tensions between Borana Oromo and Garre Somali communities.

The latest escalation followed a dispute over the raising of the Somali Regional State flag and the opening of a related administrative office around October 18. Tensions intensified following the killing of a 13-year-old girl, identified in local accounts as Diqqoo Jaataan Aagaa.

By October 22, clashes had escalated, with reports of heavy gunfire, civilian casualties, injuries and destruction of homes and businesses across Moyale and surrounding areas, including Gumi Eldallo, Wachile and Arero.