In the Democratic Republic of Congo, tens of thousands of people have abandoned a restive eastern city amidst an advance by armed rebels. Villagers have fled as government troops left their positions against the rebel force led by Laurent Nkunda. The top United Nations official in the Congo has asked the Security Council to approve more troops for the international force. UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson Ron Redmond warned of a worsening situation on the ground.

Ron Redmond: “It’s a very difficult security situation to work in. Basically, those who have been forced to flee their homes have to reach us, because we simply cannot send teams out into the countryside. There’s too much fighting going on. It’s too dangerous. It’s anarchy. So we have to remain fairly close to our headquarters in that region in Goma.”