Ethiopian mothers in Kenya grapple to feed children after crossing from Ethiopia
MOYALE, Kenya — In MOYALE, Kenya, Ethiopian mothers who fled fighting into the country have found safety but are struggling to feed their children, depending on communal meals and sleeping on the floor as more families cross the border in search of help.
The families are fleeing hostilities between Somali and Oromo communities in southern Ethiopia. The conflict originates from a long-standing territorial dispute between the regions of Oromia and Somali, forcing tens of thousands to cross the border into Kenya.
We arrived on foot late at night, fleeing for our lives, with little more than the clothes on our backs,” said Shukria Dalacha, 26, whose newborn daughter Sijra Bonaiyo was just five days old at the time of the crossing. “We lack the resources to sustain our families.”
Reaching safety has meant sleeping on the floor while relying on rice and beans distributed to families awaiting registration. She expressed difficulty in producing sufficient breast milk and concern about feeding her newborn.
The border violence compounds Ethiopia’s broader instability, which includes renewed fighting in Tigray and an insurgency in Amhara. In September, seven opposition groups formed an alliance aimed at toppling Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The 2020‑2022 conflict in northern Tigray resulted in roughly 500,000 civilian deaths due to violence, famine, and the collapse of health services, according to researchers at Ghent University in Belgium.
Conflict has also left communities less resilient to drought. A September assessment by regional and federal disaster authorities and humanitarian partners estimated that 3.9 million people in Tigray would require emergency food assistance through December. The report noted that displacement, restricted agricultural access, and disrupted livelihoods were exacerbating the effects of poor rainfall.
Families continued arriving during an AP visit to Moyale. Hundreds gathered at registration points, waiting to be counted and to obtain household rations and basic supplies. In a Kenyan host’s home, thirty displaced individuals shared a single room for sleeping.
Kerko Mohammed, 70, recounted that she fled with her family after gunfire shattered the walls of their home during clashes between Somali and Oromo communities in Ethiopia.
She said, “We had no choice but to escape, and in the process we became homeless.”
A Kenyan host had offered food and water, yet the household’s limited funds made the situation even harder.
The arrivals have increased pressure on Kenya’s Marsabit County, where local leaders had already warned that food and water shortages could strain communities’ capacity to accommodate displaced families.
At the Al‑Huda temporary camp, aid workers registered arrivals and distributed basic supplies. Families of six shared a single round aluminum tray for meals, while others rested on the floor.
UNHCR and local authorities state that registration aids the identification of displaced families and the assessment of their needs. Registered families receive household food rations and essential supplies, while those awaiting registration and those living with Kenyan hosts can access communal meals at protection sites.
Henok Ochalla, senior emergency coordinator for the U.N. refugee agency, said aid workers are supplying meals at reception points and distributing blankets, sleeping mats, drinking water and mosquito nets. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under five require urgent medical care and nutritional support.
UNHCR had documented approximately 14,000 individuals by 6 November to gauge their needs; this figure did not represent the full number of arrivals. By late October, authorities reported that as many as 50,000 people had crossed into Kenya, with registration and verification processes ongoing.
The agency disclosed an appeal for $8.9 million to support those fleeing into Kenya but did not disclose the amount of funds already received.
Ochalla added that, given limited financial resources, the agency cannot meet the demands of a growing population of displaced persons.