Burundi is facing a rapidly worsening humanitarian situation as more than 40,000 people have fled there in two weeks to escape fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the U.N. said on Friday.

Burundi has "accelerated" the withdrawal of some troops from DR Congo, a senior military source told AFP Thursday, as the UN warned the small Great Lakes nation was seeing its biggest influx of

Countries bordering the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo sought to shore up defences on Wednesday as violence spreads through the region, with Burundi forced to pull back troops and Uganda securing a key city.

With refugees escaping an escalating war between M23 rebels and Congolese government forces in the eastern Congo, the United Nations fears a regional disaster if no measures are taken immediately to end hostilities.

The United Nations humanitarians have said that escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, has continued to uproot thousands more people to neighbouring countries where they face dire conditions without many basic necessities.