The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has launched an emergency response to support families arriving in Moyale, Marsabit County, after fleeing insecurity caused by conflict across the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
In a statement on Thursday, October 22, 2026, KRCS Secretary General Dr Ahmed Idris said the organisation had deployed teams to work with the Marsabit County Government, national authorities and humanitarian partners to address the immediate needs of the affected families.
The initial response targets 1,000 households, many of whom have arrived with few belongings and urgently require shelter, food, safe water and health care.
“Our priority is to make sure every family arriving in Moyale is safe, sheltered and treated with dignity. Our volunteers and staff are on the ground and will continue to respond as needs evolve,” Dr Idris said.
KRCS teams have begun setting up temporary shelters and distributing essential household supplies to help families cope with the disruption caused by the insecurity.
The items include tents, blankets, sleeping mats, jerrycans and kitchen sets intended to help families meet their immediate shelter and domestic needs as they settle in Moyale.
The organisation is also distributing Super Cereal, a fortified porridge flour aimed at supporting the nutritional needs of young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, who may face heightened nutritional risks during emergencies.
Red Cross teams are additionally administering first aid to people requiring immediate medical attention as the humanitarian response gets underway.
Alongside the distribution of supplies, KRCS is conducting a rapid needs assessment to establish the scale of the humanitarian situation and determine which services require urgent intervention.
Preliminary findings point to critical shortages in food, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, primary health care and protection.
The organisation has identified women, children, older people and persons with disabilities among the groups requiring particular attention because of their potential vulnerability during displacement and emergencies.
KRCS is also restoring family links to help relatives who have become separated reconnect. The service is intended to address the uncertainty families can experience when people are displaced or lose contact with loved ones during periods of insecurity.
KRCS said its response would be guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including humanity, impartiality and neutrality.
The organisation emphasised that assistance would be based solely on humanitarian needs, regardless of the background of those affected.
It also pledged to maintain coordination with the national and county governments and humanitarian partners as assessments continue and the needs of arriving families become clearer.
The Kenya Red Cross said it would issue further updates as the situation develops and its response evolves.