Kenya Defence Forces troops have been deployed to the border town of Moyale as thousands of Ethiopian civilians fleeing tribal violence seek shelter.
Residents and sources from NGOs said hundreds of civilians, mainly women, children and the elderly from sides involved in the conflict in Ethiopia's regions, had moved into Moyale town from Wednesday to Friday morning.
The development follows days of tension that pit two sides from Ethiopia's Regions Four and Five, where the rivals also share the Ethiopian district of Moyale.
Those who spoke to The Standard on the phone indicated that tension was brought about by the killing of a young girl on October 18, in an area administered by Region Four of Borana Zone.
“Apart from the killing of the minor, the authorities in Region Four and the civilian population believed that the hosting of the Somali regional flag in an Oromo territory is an encroachment on their land. This is what led to the heavy gunfight," said one NGO source who works in both upper Eastern of Kenya and southern Ethiopia.
Region Four is predominantly occupied by Oromo speakers, that include the Borana Zone while the neighbouring Region Five is predominantly Somali speakers with a Garre clan Zone.
" We have hundreds of Ethiopian civilians who have crossed into the Kenyan side of Moyale and they are mainly hosted by relatives and good Samaritans," said the source.
Marsabit County Commissioner Stanley Kamande said those who fled came in with their personal belongings and appealed to humanitarian organisations to assist the vulnerable groups.
"We already have hundreds of civilians (from Ethiopia) who have crossed to our border town of Moyale and most are staying with relatives. We also have those who require humanitarian assistance,” the administrator told The Standard on the phone.
A detachment of the Kenya Army based at Odha Camp has joined the General Service Unit (GSU) and police border patrol unit to the Kenya-Ethiopia border at the Moyale crossing point.
"The GSU and the border police unit have joined them (the army) in patrolling our side of the border to ensure we do not have a cross-border incursion from the Ethiopian side and which we do not expect and also to provide security to those (fleeing civilians) seeking our help," said Kamande.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Red Cross has upped efforts for emergency relief support to hundreds of families fleeing deadly clashes in southern Ethiopia
In a statement released late Thursday, the organisation said that the initial response targets 1,000 households who are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
"The displaced families arrived in Kenya with few belongings and urgently needed shelter, food, safe water and healthcare as fighting continued across parts of southern Ethiopia," the statement read in part.
Red Cross is working with the Marsabit County government, national authorities and other partners to set up temporary shelters from where it will distribute essential supplies, including tents, blankets, sleeping mats, jerry cans and kitchen sets.
The organisation is providing super cereals, fortified porridge flour for young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, as well as first aid to those requiring medical attention.
The agency also launched a tracing desk to help separated family members through its family-links service.
“Our priority is to make sure every family arriving in Moyale is safe, sheltered and treated with dignity. Our volunteers and staff are on the ground and will continue to respond as needs evolve,” the statement by Secretary General Ahmed Idris added.
Fighting between heavily armed civilians from the rival regions have been ongoing in at least five urban settlements within the Moyale District of Region Four and neighbouring trading centres in Region Five.
Reports indicate scores have been killed and others seriously injured on both sides. Looting and arson attacks had also been reported in these areas, all located between 5 km and 30 km from the Kenyan border town of Moyale.
