Satellite images reveal destruction of refugee camps in Tigray, Ethiopia
DX Open Network, a UK-based research organization, has released satellite images revealing the systematic destruction of two refugee camps in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region. The images document the ongoing destruction, looting and razing of both Hitsats and Shimelba refugee camps, which previously hosted around 25,000 refugees, most of whom were from neighboring Eritrea.
According to DX Open Network’s analysis of the images, the camps appear to have been targeted between 24 November 2020 and 17 January 2021, despite their protected status under international law. The damage appears more extensive than previously reported, with over 1,000 structures destroyed or burned down, including schools, homes and food stores, as well as buildings operated by the World Food Programme, International Rescue Committee and the Norwegian Refugee Council. The Ethiopian government announced today that it is closing the two destroyed camps, stating one is an inhospitable location and the other is too close to the Eritrean border. Read more