GENEVA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned Friday that more than 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of "increasing and expanding violence" in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Kasai, Lomami and Sankuru provinces.
According to the UN agency, fighting in these southern regions has led to numerous civilian deaths as well as human rights violations.
These have been corroborated through the discovery of mass graves, OCHA revealed. The livelihood of many civilians, including children, has also been severely affected.
The upsurge and continuous violence between warring factions has further compounded an already weak healthcare system, increasing the risks of malnutrition and epidemics, OCHA added.
The Geneva-based aid agency said that warring groups, namely local militias clashing with national security forces, have all contributed to the dire situation for civilians on the ground.
