There have been major violations of international law at two refugee camps in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the U.N.’s refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.
It said satellite imagery showed fires burning and fresh signs of destruction at the Shimelba and Hitsats camps for refugees from neighbouring Eritrea, who fled political persecution and compulsory military service before the conflict in Tigray.
“These are concrete indications of major violations of international law,” Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement.
Reuters published satellite images on Tuesday from California-based company Planet Lab Inc that showed destruction in the two camps during the first week of January.
Aid agencies say they have been unable to reach the camps since conflict erupted in Tigray in November between Ethiopian federal forces and the party that used to govern the region.
Spokespeople for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the government’s emergency…