Mounting humanitarian crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo

People flee as fighting erupts between the M23 rebels and Congolese army near the airport at Goma, Congo, on 19 NovemberAP

Fresh fighting is bringing more hardship to the Democratic Republic of Congo's 2.2 million internally displaced people, World Vision has warned.

Rebel forces have advanced from the north towards Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, forcing around 70,000 civilians to move from one camp to another.

The Christian development agency has received reports of children being separated from their parents as they flee the fighting.

World Vision is preparing for the distribution of food, medicine and hygiene kits in Goma and the surrounding areas.

Dominic Keyzer, the advocacy manager for World Vision in DRC, is currently in Giseyni, about 1.5 kilometres from the border on the Rwanda side.

He said: "It's so heart breaking to see innocent women and children face the worst violence of their lives over a conflict that they little understand and cannot control."