36,000 flee Ethiopia violence into Kenya, UN says

About 36,000 people have crossed into Kenya after fleeing violence in and around the Ethiopian border city of Moyale, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.

UNHCR said many of those arriving from Ethiopia are women and children. Some have found shelter with relatives or local communities, while others are in temporary locations.

The agency said food is the most urgent need, along with safe drinking water, shelter, sanitation and healthcare.

UNHCR spokeswoman Eujin Byun told AFP there had been a significant increase since Thursday in people crossing from Ethiopia into Kenya through the Moyale border area.

Several people have died in recent clashes between the armies of southern Ethiopia's Somali and Oromia regions, sources told AFP on Saturday. The clashes came against a background of territorial disputes. Fighting began after a Somali regional flag was hoisted in Moyale, a city jointly administered by the two Ethiopian regions.

UNHCR said it was working with the UN migration, food and children's agencies, the Kenya Red Cross Society and other partners to support a Kenyan government-led response.