UNITED NATIONS - Top UN officials expressed concern on Sunday about escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

"The situation is deteriorating rapidly," UN Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

She said hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured in the last few weeks, and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes or shelters to escape gunfire and shelling.

Tensions have been running high due to the recent advances by the M23 rebels in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The rebels took control of Sake, a town considered the last defense for government forces before Goma, the capital of North Kivu and a major regional hub.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN undersecretary-general for peace operations, said the United Nations is profoundly concerned with the resumption of hostilities which have led to the loss of a strategic position several kilometers from Goma.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN chief "is deeply concerned by the escalating violence in eastern DRC".

Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced since the start of 2025 in eastern DRC, where conflicts between the Congolese army and armed groups have intensified.