The UN refugee agency says humanitarian needs are growing on the Kenya-Ethiopia border as clashes inside Ethiopia force tens of thousands to seek refuge.

The UN Refugee Agency says humanitarian needs are growing along the Kenya-Ethiopia border as fighting inside southern Ethiopia forces tens of thousands of people to flee across the frontier. Officials say arrivals have surged in recent days, straining already stretched reception facilities in northern Kenya.

The clashes are the latest flashpoint in a broader pattern of unrest that has unsettled parts of Ethiopia this year, with local authorities on both sides of the border reporting displaced families arriving with little more than what they could carry. Aid workers say food, clean water and shelter are the most urgent shortages.

Kenyan officials have pledged to keep the border open while appealing for more international support, warning that funding for the response remains far short of what is needed. The UN says it is scaling up emergency supplies but cautions that needs could keep rising if the fighting continues.