Up to 400,000 people have fled growing tension and violence in eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo since March.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, some 300,000 civilians have fled their homes in Nord-Kivu province, while in neighbouring Sud-Kivu about 100,000 have been displaced.
In its latest report on the growing plight of civilians in DR Congo, the ICRC warned violence is spreading in Sud-Kivu.
It says 'crimes against civilians' - including rape, murder, looting and destruction of homes - were continuing unabated in areas east and north of the Nord-Kivu capital of Goma.
Violence is 'increasing and it's very likely to increase,' said the ICRC's outgoing delegation chief in the country, Max Hadorn.
He stressed that women and children are most vulnerable to attack.
'We have no clear figures on child soldiers, but we have seen recently that it's on the increase. As is sexual violence,' he added.
The ICRC has highlighted the threat of marauding soldiers both from the regular army, which is effectively out of control, and exiled Rwandan Hutu rebels in the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
'The main problem is protection. It's really related to the deployment of armed forces, not collateral damage,' he added.
'You have very poorly paid soldiers,' Mr Hadorn said, suggesting that there would be little improvement unless attempts to reform the country's security forces came to fruition.
Yesterday, the Congolese army warned its servicemen to respect human rights or be punished for their 'reprehensible acts'.
The army is engaged in a joint offensive against the FDLR along with Rwandan troops.
Advocacy group Human Rights Watch recently denounced a 'spectacular increase' in the number of rebel attacks on civilians in eastern and northeast regions this year.
The group said in a report that at least 1,500 civilians have been killed and 'thousands of women and young girls have been raped' by Rwandan and Ugandan rebel groups active in the DR Congo's eastern Kivu and Orientale Provinces.
