Malnutrition levels among children in the conflict-riven east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen 10-fold in some areas, US-based humanitarian agency World Vision warned on Wednesday.

`The number of children suffering from severe malnutrition in eastern Congo is rising dramatically as a result of the increased conflict,` a statement said.

`In one hard-hit area, World Vision estimates the number of children under the age of five suffering from malnutrition has increased 10-fold.`

Before the conflict intensified in the flashpoint eastern Nord-Kivu region in August, acute malnutrition levels were 19 percent, and 86 percent of the people ate less than three meals a day, World Vision said.

Congolese rebels have started pulling back from two fronts north and northwest of the regional capital Goma, where they continued to besiege the city of some 500,000 people, the UN mission in Congo said on Wednesday.

Aid workers in rebel-held areas said that while hunger was earlier linked only to poverty, the huge numbers of displaced simply had no access to food.

`The conflict has intensified the effects of poverty 10 times over and the situation has become dire,` said World Vision aid worker and nurse, Suzanne Kahamba.

`But I fully believe that if there is peace ... people will be able to go home, farm their land and look after their families,` she said.

World Vision said before the conflict intensified, there were about two children arriving daily on average at a World Vision nutritional centre east of the town of Rutshuru but the number had gone up to between eight and 10 now.

Fighting in the area had cut off aid from the centre for about three weeks, World Vision said, adding that supplies had now resumed.

`North Kivu province used to supply a large proportion of the country`s food,` said Constance Smith, World Vision`s health and nutrition manager in Congo.

`Now people here are foraging for any food they can find. When there is a severe lack of food as there is now, it is always children who suffer the most.`