United Nations personnel were fired upon and captured by Ethiopian federal forces in the nation's Tigray region.
Ethiopian officials said Tuesday the U.N. workers had attempted to reach "restricted" areas when they were intercepted.
The U.N. and other humanitarian groups have repeatedly called on the Ethiopian government to give their personnel access to the region. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed to allow the U.N. access but officials said they still cannot move freely.
Senior Ethiopian official Redwan Hussein said the apprehended U.N. aid workers "broke" through two checkpoints and attempted to enter a third before they were detained. He said the U.N. workers would be released.
"They were told in some areas they were not supposed to move. But they indulged themselves in a kind of adventurous expedition," Hussein said.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the government's actions were "alarming." He said that the U.N. is now in talks with Abiy's administration to ensure the incident won't be repeated.
Dujarric told reporters that the U.N. team was attempting to assess the roads leading to refugee camps - which they claimed were already running out of food. The assessment must be made before aid convoys can move in.
The U.N. claimed the Ethiopian government is adamant about controlling the flow of aid even though it had committed to giving unfettered and neutral access. U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the situation was "complicated." Communications continue to be a challenge.
The head of the U.N. refugee agency Flippo Grandi said Tuesday the situation was critical. He said there were reports of camps running out of food.
"Regaining access to refugees and others in need is urgent and critical for UNHCR and humanitarian organizations," Grandi said.
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland said that the people of Tigray caught in crossfire "can no longer be made to wait." His organization has yet to be granted access to the area.
