Conflict in the region in recent years has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
As women and girls "are at the higher risk of violence including rape" the World Health Organization is "especially worried for their health and safety" in Goma, the body's Democratic Republic Congo representative Adelheid Marschang has said.
"Pregnant women are at risk with very high maternal death rates, even before this recent escalation of violence," added Dr Marschang at a news conference earlier.
According to the UN, there are reports of rapes committed by fighters in Goma. All this as battles are continuing across the city, and many dead bodies lie the streets.
Local hospitals are overwhelmed, humanitarian agencies have said.
"Capacities to deal with the newly injured are stretched and WHO is working with authorities and partners to identify solutions and to increase local capacities to deal with this," said Dr Marschang.
The medical charity MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, has spoken of the difficulty in providing urgent medical treatment to those in need in Goma and surrounding areas.
"That's one of our main concerns," said MSF aid coordinator Djoen Besselink.
"How do people find the healthcare that they need because with almost a million people displaced within Goma, violence around, humanitarians [who have] left Goma, how do you make sure people get this?"
A victim of fighting between the M23 rebels and the Armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) is attended to in Cbeca Ndosho hospital in Goma, North Kivu province.
Hospitals are overwhelmed with hundreds of injured civilians
The AFP news agency is now citing a security source as saying that Goma's airport is in the hands of the M23.
"They have taken control of the airport, M23 fighters are there," AFP quotes the anonymous source as saying.
"More than 1,200 Congolese soldiers have surrendered and are confined to the [UN base] at the airport."
Earlier, the rebels had claimed control and the Reuters news agency confirmed this with diplomatic and security sources.
Dozens of civilians at a camp for displaced people have been killed in the ongoing fighting, the International Committee of The Red Cross (ICRC) says.
Conflict in the region in recent years has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
The ICRC adds that Rusayo camp - located on the outskirts of Goma - was caught up in clashes this week, even though it is protected by international law.
Medical facilities supported by the ICRC in Goma are receiving wounded people who have been transported by motorbike and bus.
Victims continue to arrive in their dozens, the statement says, adding that the ICRC has treated more than 600 injured people in Goma since the beginning of January.
The African Union's peace and security council is pushing for a cessation of hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, following a major offensive by the M23 rebel group.
The council is holding an emergency meeting at the moment, where it is also focusing on the need to end the conflict through dialogue, the protection of civilians and peacekeepers and humanitarian access to conflict-hit areas, the union's Political Affairs, Peace and Security department said in a post on X.
African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye urged the M23 to lay down its arms and called for the "full respect of DR Congo's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity".
Two staff members at Kenya’s embassy in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, had to escape and seek refuge elsewhere as protesters targeted the building earlier today, Kenya’s government has said.
Angry crowds complaining about the rebel assault on Goma also attacked the embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, France and Belgium.
In its statement, Kenya’s foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned by the attacks describing them as “unwarranted”.
It added that there had been looting, and destruction of property.
The statement alleged that while the attack on the embassy happened "in the full glare" of DR Congo's security officers, they “took no action to mitigate the situation”.
It described what happened as a violation of international law as host governments are required to protect embassies.
A protester prepares to burn the flag of EAC (East Africa Community) as Uganda's embassy gets looted in Kinshasa .Protesters also targeted the Ugandan embassy and burnt the flag of the East African Community
Rwanda is said to receive $1bn (£800m) a year in foreign aid
Furious Congolese demonstrators see Rwanda as the "donor darling" enriching itself and possibly "annexing" part of the country's mineral-wealthy east, says analyst Michaela Wrong.
Speaking to the BBC's World at One radio programme, she points out that Rwanda gets millions in aid from the West, and so Congolese citizens believe the West can stop the advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels if it wants to.
Yet, there has been "no muscular response from the international community", prompting attacks by frustrated Congolese citizens on foreign embassies in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
Wrong and other analysts say current events are a chilling reminder of what happened back in the 1990s, when a rebel movement swept to power and installed Laurent-Désiré Kabila as president.
"The fear now is that we're seeing a repeat," she says.
A few hours ago, we brought you news that the rebels claimed to have captured Goma's airport.
Diplomatic and security sources have now confirmed the takeover, Reuters news agency reports.
The ICRC adds that Rusayo camp - located on the outskirts of Goma - was caught up in clashes this week, even though it is protected by international law.
Medical facilities supported by the ICRC in Goma are receiving wounded people who have been transported by motorbike and bus.
Victims continue to arrive in their dozens, the statement says, adding that the ICRC has treated more than 600 injured people in Goma since the beginning of January.Water and electricity supplies to the city have been cut of.
UN experts and others have long accused neighbouring Rwanda of backing the M23, but Rwanda has consistently denied this
Foreign embassies have been targeted by crowds in the capital, Kinshasa, with people angry that the international community has failed to stop the fighting
At least 17 foreign peacekeepers have now been killed in clashes with the rebels, including 13 South Africans
As women and girls "are at the higher risk of violence including rape" the World Health Organization is "especially worried for their health and safety" in Goma, the body's Democratic Republic Congo representative Adelheid Marschang has said.
"Pregnant women are at risk with very high maternal death rates, even before this recent escalation of violence," added Dr Marschang at a news conference earlier.
According to the UN, there are reports of rapes committed by fighters in Goma. All this as battles are continuing across the city, and many dead bodies lie the streets.
Local hospitals are overwhelmed, humanitarian agencies have said.
"Capacities to deal with the newly injured are stretched and WHO is working with authorities and partners to identify solutions and to increase local capacities to deal with this," said Dr Marschang.
Furious Congolese demonstrators see Rwanda as the "donor darling" enriching itself and possibly "annexing" part of the country's mineral-wealthy east, says analyst Michaela Wrong.
Speaking to the BBC's World at One radio programme, she points out that Rwanda gets millions in aid from the West, and so Congolese citizens believe the West can stop the advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels if it wants to.
Yet, there has been "no muscular response from the international community", prompting attacks by frustrated Congolese citizens on foreign embassies in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
Wrong and other analysts say current events are a chilling reminder of what happened back in the 1990s, when a rebel movement swept to power and installed Laurent-Désiré Kabila as president.
"The fear now is that we're seeing a repeat," she says.
