GENEVA, Switzerland: The humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo is worsening, with around 350,000 displaced people left without shelter due to ongoing conflict, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned.

Fighting between Congolese forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels has escalated, with the rebels seizing Goma, the region's largest city, last month. Their advance southward has sparked fears of a broader humanitarian catastrophe in an area already struggling to accommodate displaced civilians.

UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun, speaking to journalists via video link from Geneva, said that an estimated 70,000 emergency shelters had been destroyed around Goma and Minova, leaving thousands without a safe place to stay. "Hundreds of thousands of people are now living in makeshift accommodation, including churches and hospitals," Byun said. Many displaced individuals are also unable to return home due to unexploded munitions littering the region.

The situation in displacement camps is dire. The UNHCR reports that about 70 percent of camps in Goma have been destroyed, while others in Minova have sustained significant damage. Meanwhile, aid agencies are struggling to deliver assistance due to the ongoing violence. "In South Kivu, over 50 percent of the humanitarian organizations that provide critical support, such as against sexual violence, are unable to reach those in need," Byun added.

The security situation has further deteriorated, with growing reports of crime and the increasing risk of disease outbreaks.

Adding to the crisis, more than 80 civilians were killed earlier this week in an attack by the CODECO militia on several villages in eastern Congo, according to the U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO. CODECO, one of several armed groups vying for control of land and resources, has repeatedly targeted displacement camps, where vulnerable populations have gathered since the M23 offensive began.

Congo, the U.N., and Western governments have accused Rwanda of providing M23 with troops and weapons, an allegation that Kigali denies.

The recent fighting has left at least 3,000 people dead and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, deepening one of Africa's most pressing humanitarian crises.