At least 700 people have been killed in eastern Congo since Sunday as fighting between the Congolese forces and the M23 rebel group rages on, according to the United Nations.
The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, disclosed this to reporters on Friday.
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Mr Dujarric said within this period, 2,800 people have also been injured, with many warehouses looted and destroyed.
According to him, an assessment by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that the death toll is expected to rise, and the humanitarian crisis in Goma has worsened within the last five days.
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“The WHO and its partners conducted an assessment with the government between the 26th and yesterday and reported that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 people injured.
“Humanitarian organisations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis, including the widespread looting of warehouses and the offices of aid organisations,” The BBC quoted Mr Dujarric to have said.
The M23 rebel group seized control of Goma, a major city in Congo, on Monday.
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This development marked another significant territorial gain for the group in recent weeks.
To stop the group from advancing, a coalition of military operatives from Congo, South Africa, Malawi, and Uruguay embarked on a counter attack.
But this only led to the death of several peacekeeping soldiers.
Last Tuesday, the UN disclosed that a counterattack from the troops had left hundreds of people wounded, with bodies lying in the streets of Goma.
Rwanda accused of backing M23
The Congolese government and the UN have long accused Rwanda of supplying M23 rebels with weapons and soldiers to assert control over the country’s mineral-rich regions.
On Friday, the Central African country reiterated its claim that Rwanda is illegally occupying parts of its territory.
These allegations, coupled with the deaths of South African troops in recent attacks, have further strained diplomatic ties between South Africa and Rwanda, escalating regional tensions.
READ ALSO: South Africa, Rwanda Presidents push for ceasefire agreement in DR Congo
Three days after M23 seized Goma, President Cyril Ramaphosa accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of killing South African peacekeepers, warning that any further attacks on his country’s troops would be treated as a “declaration of war.”
In response, Rwandan President Paul Kagame dismissed the allegation and accused South Africa of being part of a “belligerent force” engaged in “offensive combat operations” to support the Congolese government in its fight “against its people.”
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