UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said in a statement last week that it is alarmed by the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The continued lack of access to displaced people hampers the provision of urgently needed aid.

Heavy artillery shelling and looting have destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in North and South Kivu provinces, leaving some 350,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) once again without roofs over their heads, UNHCR warned.

Read AlsoItaly: University ministry grants 100 scholarships to refugee students

Overcrowded shelters and obstacles to humanitarian access

Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now in overcrowded makeshift shelters, churches, schools and hospitals, the agency said. The displaced in Goma are also affected by the increase in crime.

While some 100,000 have attempted to return to their home areas, where houses have been damaged and there are little or no essential services, many remain stranded in collective centers, damaged IDP sites, or with host communities, according to the UN agency.

The agency explained that displaced people reported that fear of unexploded ordnance, destroyed homes and lack of essential services are significant obstacles to safe return.

The crisis is worsening as people flee to areas where humanitarian aid cannot reach them due to insecurity. In South Kivu, over 50 percent of humanitarian organizations providing critical support to survivors of sexual violence report being unable to reach those in need, due to insecurity and continuous displacement.

Meanwhile, in North Kivu, the destruction of health facilities, including mortuaries, and overcrowded hospitals increases the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including cholera, malaria, and measles, UNHCR said.

Trapped and uncertain

UNHCR stressed that its teams in both North and South Kivu continue to assist displaced people as much as possible. They have seen families once again packing up their few remaining belongings, trapped in uncertainty --unable to stay, yet with no safe place to go, it warned.

The UN agency said that, among them, was a 55-year-old widow with five children who lost everything when she fled her village to seek safety in Goma. Now, she has been forced to leave the Bulengo IDP site on the outskirts of the city, with no idea of where she will go.

Residents of Bukavu, home to 1.3 million people, are on high alert as insecurity worsens, prompting many to flee south or further afield. A further influx into the city is expected in the coming days, potentially followed by onward movements as the fighting spreads.

Read AlsoUNHCR urges action amid risks for displaced in eastern DR Congo

Some shelter provided

UNHCR said it remains committed to supporting civilians in North and South Kivu and is closely monitoring the situation. The agency said it is ready to help communities recover by providing shelter and relief items for vulnerable households.

However, without sufficient financial resources, the ability to provide life-saving assistance -- such as shelter, health care, and protection services-- will be severely limited, further exacerbating the suffering of vulnerable populations, it warned, calling on the international community to bolster their support to prevent a deeper humanitarian catastrophe.

UNHCR called for an immediate cessation of hostilities to ensure the safety of civilians, including the displaced, and to uphold international humanitarian principles including the right to move freely in search of safety.