Laden with just the possessions they can carry, thousands of displaced people have reached the outskirts of the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing a rapid M23 rebel advance that has taken more territory than ever before.

M23 rebels are steadily encircling Goma, the DRC's strategic eastern city, as the national army struggles to defend its territory. With alleged support from Rwanda and facing a weakened Congolese military,

The M23 rebel group’s advance toward eastern Congo’s largest city has displaced over 178,000 people in the past two weeks, the United Nations said, as the fighters closed in on Goma on the border with Rwanda.