Approximately 50,000 people have fled from southern Ethiopia into Kenya following a surge in regional violence. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recorded 36,000 people crossing the border on Tuesday.
Fatima Mohammed-Cole, the UNHCR representative for Kenya, stated, "According to local authorities, up to an estimated 50,000 people have crossed into Kenya." Hostilities began on 20 October between the armies of the Oromia and Somali regions in southern Ethiopia.
Clashes in the city of Moyale resulted in several deaths. Moyale is a city jointly administered by the Somali and Oromia regions, where a Somali regional flag was recently hoisted.
The UNHCR dispatched an emergency team to the area to address the growing displacement. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed that Ethiopia received 12 Russian fighter jets.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that he is interested in Ethiopia and Eritrea normalising their relations. The country of Ethiopia has a population of some 130 million people.
Fighting has resumed in the northern Tigray region, which saw a devastating war from 2020 to 2022.
