Moyale refugee crisis: 50,000 people flee Ethiopia into northern Kenya

Since October 22, fighting in a remote corner of Ethiopia has driven an estimated 50,000 people across the border into the small Kenyan town of Moyale. Most are women and children. They arrived with little or nothing, and they need food, clean water, shelter and medical care right now.

This region rarely makes American news, but for us it is personal: the family of our ministry partners lives in Moyale. We are asking you to pay attention, pray, and help.

Where is Moyale, Kenya?

Kenya sits on the east coast of Africa, on the equator. Moyale is on its far northern border with Ethiopia, a long day’s drive from the capital, Nairobi.

Moyale town straddles Kenya-Ethiopia border

What caused the Oromia–Somali fighting in Moyale?

A dispute over a flag turned into a week of heavy fighting in a divided border town.

• The town. Moyale straddles the Kenya–Ethiopia border, much like El Paso and Ciudad Juárez straddle ours. On the Ethiopian side, the town is shared by two of Ethiopia’s regional states, Oromia and the Somali Region, which disagree about where the line between them runs.
• The spark. On October 18, the Somali Region raised its flag and opened an office in a neighborhood Oromia says belongs to it. Clashes broke out, and a 13-year-old girl was killed that day.
• The fighting. From October 22, regional security forces from both sides fought each other with heavy machine guns and mortars. Homes and businesses were burned. By the weekend the fighting had spread to seven districts.
• The toll. The number of dead and wounded is still unknown, and it is rising.

This conflict is decades old. Similar clashes along the Oromia–Somali boundary have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the past.

Who is affected, and what do Moyale refugees need?

How Frontier Partners and Village Hope Renewal are helping displaced families

Frontier Partners International works in Kenya with Village Hope Renewal Foundation, led by Wubshet and Habiba Mengesha. They have served together in Kenya for more than 20 years, with a heart to reach the whole country with poverty relief and the love of Christ. Through training, practical tools and lasting relationships, they help families rise out of poverty and find the hope only Christ can bring.

This crisis is personal for us. Habiba’s family lives in Moyale, and they are in great danger.

Together, FPI and Village Hope Renewal are already helping families displaced by this crisis, and your support lets us reach more of them.

WHY Help?

Demonstrating the love of God

By helping the people of this region together, we will show the love of God to many, most of whom are Muslim, through actions that bring aid and hope.

Our team has been working in this region for years, and Habiba’s family lives there. Bringing immediate, lifesaving aid will strengthen this existing work and open the way to share the Gospel of Jesus with many more.

How to help refugees in Moyale, Kenya

Three things make a real difference this week.

1. Pray. For an end to the fighting in Moyale, for the safety of families on both sides of the border, and for the churches and aid workers serving them.
2. Share. Forward this to your church, small group or friends. Few Americans have heard about this crisis, and attention brings help.
3. Give. Gifts provide water, food, blankets and medical care for families in the Moyale camps.
   

Give online:

Or, mail a check payable to Frontier Partners International to 10 Primrose St, PO Box 670, Palmer Lake, CO 80133, with “Village Hope Renewal” on the memo line.

Thank you for standing with the people of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia.

Thank You and God Bless You!

Grace & Peace

Michael Parks