Heavy gunfire across the Ethiopian border has prompted Kenyan residents near Sesi to move in search of safety, raising concerns over the widening impact of the conflict.
Marsabit Governor Mohamud Mohamed Ali says the county is hosting an estimated 40,000 people fleeing Ethiopia, while displacement among Kenyan residents remains unassessed.
Kenya Red Cross is appealing for urgent support as emergency supplies run low, with displaced families sheltering in schools, social halls and tents in Moyale.
Heavy gunfire across the Ethiopian border has prompted Kenyan residents near Sesi to move in search of safety, widening humanitarian concerns as Marsabit County hosts an estimated 40,000 people fleeing fighting in neighbouring Ethiopia.
Governor Mohamud Mohamed Ali said intense overnight shooting had unsettled communities on the Kenyan side, although authorities had yet to establish the number of residents who had moved.
“Our people around Sesi bordering that side started moving. We have not yet taken stock of those ones,” the governor said.
He reported relative calm the following morning but said the situation remained concerning. He clarified that the estimated 40,000 people being hosted in the county had crossed from Ethiopia, with movement among Kenyan residents yet to be assessed.
The developments have added urgency to appeals by the county government and the Kenya Red Cross Society for assistance to meet growing shelter, food and healthcare needs.
Families arriving from Ethiopia are being accommodated in schools, social halls and tents erected by the Kenya Red Cross. Further arrivals are expected, placing additional pressure on emergency supplies and available accommodation.
Kenya Red Cross Society Head of Operations Venant Ndigila said the organisation had used up much of the relief stock prepositioned for emergencies in the area.
“We have depleted most of the reserves which were prepositioned for this area,” Ndigila said.
He appealed to humanitarian partners and well-wishers to help sustain the response as teams work to support affected families.
Marsabit County Commissioner Kamande said security personnel were providing protection at the camps throughout the day and night, assuring displaced families that their safety remained a priority.
“The people in this camp should not fear for any security concern,” he said.
The fighting on the Ethiopian side of Moyale is linked to territorial and administrative disputes involving Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional administrations. The town, which lies opposite Kenya’s Moyale, has experienced recurring tensions over authority in contested areas.
According to reporting by Addis Standard, the latest escalation followed a dispute over the opening of a Somali regional administration office and the raising of its flag. A 13-year-old girl was killed during gunfire on October 18, triggering protests and further tensions. Accounts from the two sides differed over responsibility for her death and the subsequent violence.
The confrontation developed into sustained exchanges involving forces from the two regions. Addis Standard reported on October 22 that fighting had spread beyond Moyale into parts of Gumi Eldallo, Wachile and Arero districts, with residents reporting displacement, property destruction and transport disruption.
Reuters reported on October 23 that at least nine people had died, citing an official at a hospital on the Ethiopian side. The same report documented a Kenyan woman injured by a stray bullet in Moyale, illustrating the danger facing communities close to the border.
The cross-border displacement has since grown sharply. The Associated Press reported on October 27 that the United Nations put arrivals at 36,000, mostly women and children. The governor’s estimate of 40,000 points to a larger caseload, although the figures come from different sources and reporting periods.
For responders, the immediate challenge is supporting those who have crossed from Ethiopia while determining the extent of movement among Kenyan residents near Sesi. The county government and Kenya Red Cross are calling for urgent assistance as humanitarian needs continue to rise.