THE streets of Goma, once teeming with the bustle of traders haggling, schoolchildren laughing as they hurried to class, and workers commuting through the dusty roads, have now fallen eerily silent.

The M23 recently took control of key towns, including Minova and Masisi, cutting off supply routes to Goma. The UN reports that more than 237,000 people have been displaced this year, exacerbating the ...