Kenya is facing mounting humanitarian pressure in the border town of Moyale after approximately 36,000 people crossed from Ethiopia to seek refuge from violence.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kenya on Tuesday said many of those fleeing the violence are women and children, as humanitarian agencies work with national and local authorities to respond to the influx.
“UNHCR is on the ground, working alongside UN agencies and humanitarian partners to support the national and local emergency response,” the agency said,
prompting calls for urgent assistance to displaced families and host communities.
The influx has raised concerns about access to food, clean water, shelter, sanitation and healthcare, with local resources coming under pressure as displaced people seek safety across the border.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said approximately 40,000 people had sought refuge in Moyale after fleeing unrest in Ethiopia.
KNCHR said more than 15,000 people were reportedly accommodated in eight temporary shelters, while more than 20,000 others were staying with relatives and friends.
Reported shelter locations include St Mary’s Catholic Church, Harhosha Secondary School, Manyatta Burji, Sessi and Lanzi Mosque Hospital, among other sites.
“The influx is placing significant pressure on host communities and available resources, particularly food, clean water, shelter, sanitation and healthcare,” the Commission warned.
It also raised concerns about exposure to the elements and possible outbreaks of communicable diseases following reports of rain in the Moyale area.
The immediate healthcare needs include emergency treatment and reproductive health services.
KNCHR said two women had given birth at Manyatta and two others at Bitiyе, demonstrating the need for maternal, newborn and postnatal care.
The Commission also urged the Ministry of Health and the Marsabit County Government to deploy medical personnel, equipment and supplies to affected sites. It also called for disease surveillance, immunisation, nutrition support, safe water and improved sanitation.
KNCHR also asked disaster management authorities to conduct rapid assessments and coordinate the provision of food, weather-appropriate shelter, hygiene supplies and other essential services.
It emphasised that assistance should reach displaced people staying with host families as well as those in formal shelters.
The human rights commission also called on the national government and the Department of Refugee Services to coordinate reception, registration, documentation and protection screening, while ensuring that border measures comply with the law.
It said the government should work with Ethiopian authorities to facilitate safe, orderly and humane cross-border movements.
“Address the circumstances driving displacement, prevent threats to the safety and rights of affected persons, and support appropriate cross-border humanitarian coordination and find durable solution to persistent conflict,” the Commission said.
KNCHR stressed that people seeking refuge in Kenya are entitled to dignity and legal protection regardless of nationality, ethnicity or immigration status.
Citing the Constitution and the Refugees Act, 2021, the Commission said Kenya’s response must uphold the rights to life, equality, healthcare, adequate food, clean water and sanitation.
It further called for compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face specified risks of persecution or serious harm.
Security agencies and border authorities, it said, should maintain public safety while ensuring that screening and other security measures remain lawful, necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory.
KNCHR called on UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, the Kenya Red Cross and other humanitarian partners to mobilise emergency resources, including food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, child protection and psychosocial support.
It also urged protection agencies to establish referral services for women and girls at risk of violence or exploitation, unaccompanied children, older people and persons with disabilities.
Local leaders, faith-based organisations and civil society groups were asked to continue supporting displaced families while ensuring that host communities’ needs were also addressed.
The Commission said it would undertake sustained human rights monitoring in Moyale to assess living conditions, access to essential services and protection risks, and to document alleged violations.
Although the situation was reported to be calm on both sides of the border on the morning of October 27, KNCHR warned that urgent intervention was necessary to prevent avoidable suffering as conditions could deteriorate.
