MAJOR violations of international law have been committed in two refugee camps in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the United Nations said on Thursday as access to the area remained cut off.

Satellite images showed fires burning and fresh signs of destruction at the Shimelba and Hitsats camps, which house people who have fled political persecution and military conscription in neighbouring Eritrea.

Most of the camps’ residents arrived before Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a brutal military offensive against Tigray in November.

“These are concrete indications of major violations of international law,” UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement.

Some two million people are believed to have become internally displaced since the offensive began, with sporadic fighting continuing despite Mr Abiy declaring victory last month.

Aid agencies remain barred from the region and the UN has reported that Tigrayans are being ethnically profiled. A UN team was shot at by government forces when it tried to reach the Shimelba camp in December.

Diplomatic sources said that the team had encountered Eritrean troops there, but Addis Ababa initially denied the presence of foreign forces in Tigray, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

Last week, it admitted that Eritrean soldiers had entered the country’s restive northern region, although claiming that they had crossed the border uninvited. There have been repeated incursions in the last 10 days, according to local sources.

Mr Grandi said that with government forces denying access to the region, the UN refugee agency was unable to help Eritreans in desperate need.

“Refugees arriving on foot in Shire town in Tigray are emaciated, begging for aid that is not available,” he said.

“I have impressed upon the Ethiopian leadership the urgency of ensuring the protection of refugees, preventing forced return and keeping refugee camps safe from attacks and other threats from armed actors.”