Kenya: Over 48,000 people flee Ethiopia as humanitarian needs grow along the border

Conflict in the Ethiopian regions of Oromia and Somali has forced tens of thousands of people to cross the border and seek refuge in Marsabit County, Kenya. Children account for 58% of the displaced population. Together with  ChildFund Alliance and our local partner PACIDA, WeWorld is assessing needs on the ground and identifying potential ways to support families affected by the crisis.

Since 18 October 2026, the escalation of armed conflict in the Oromia and Somali regions of southern Ethiopia has triggered large-scale displacement towards Kenya. According to the estimates from the Kenya Red Cross Society, as of 3 November, more than 48,000 people had reached Marsabit County particularly in the Moyale area, along the border between the two countries. Children account for 58% of those displaced, and 22% are under the age of five. 

The displacement unfolded withing just a few days: 75% of the households included in the needs assessment had left their homes between 21 and 23 October. Among them, 91% reported that their entire village had been forced to flee. Fighting is still ongoing, and new groups of people continue to cross the border every day. 

Most displaced families are being hosted by local households and communities, while nearly 12,000 are staying in temporary shelters, including schools, churches and mosques. This situation is also placing additional pressure on host communities in northern Kenya, where access to services and resources was already limited.

A needs assessment involving PACIDA, WeWorld’s local partner, as well as local authorities and other humanitarian organisations operating in the area, highlighted significant gaps in access to essential goods and services. Through PACIDA, which has been active in Marsabit County since 2008 and has run cross-border programmes in the Moyale area since 2022, WeWorld contributed to assessing the needs of displaced families and host communities. Together with ChildFund Alliance, we are now looking more closely at the needs identified to determine how we can contribute to the humanitarian response. 

The main priorities include food security, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, healthcare and nutritional support, and child protection. 71% of households do not have enough food, 44% lack access to safe drinking water, and 76% do not have access to handwashing facilities. Access to healthcare is also severely constrained: more than half of households are unable to reach a nearby health facility. 

34% of households report feeling unsafe, while 35% say that at least one household member has had to resort to risky coping strategies to meet basic needs. These challenges are compounded by the loss of livelihoods: 47% of households report having lost their main source of income as a result of the conflict. Children are particularly affected, as their families’ financial difficulties may force them to interrupt their education and contribute to household income through work. 

The response must also address the needs of local communities hosting people displaced by the conflict, as they too are facing increasing pressure on already limited resources and essential services.