The situation is particularly serious in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and has led to an increase in the number of forcible displacements within the country, according to spokeswoman Eujin Byun.

More than 200 civilians were killed in the first city, in the last six weeks, where 2,000 houses were destroyed, while in the North Kivu region 12,000 people are settled on the outskirts of Goma, the provincial capital, for better security, she added.

UNHCR asked international donors for 233 million dollars to carry out humanitarian work in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year and asked all parties involved in the crisis to respect the reception centers for displaced people.

Out of a population of 27 million, the number of internally displaced persons is equivalent to one-fifth of that amount, according to UNHCR.

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