NAIROBI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 107,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have now fled to the Republic of Congo (ROC) since early November of last year, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), another 17,000 refugees have crossed into the Central African Republic (CAR).

"In CAR we estimate that at least 60 percent are children, many of whom fled from orphanages," the agency said in a statement, warning of urgent need for sites to host DR Congo refugees in ROC and CAR.

The UNHCR said the refugees fled from the Equateur province of DR Congo after fighting started late in October last year when Enyele militiamen launched deadly assaults on ethnic Munzayas overfishing and farming rights in the Dongo area.

The tensions have since expanded to most parts of Equateur province. The DR Congo army has launched an offensive against the Enyele militia.

The UN agency said there is an acute need for formal refugee sites to be established in both CAR and ROC as the majority of the DR Congo refugees occupy public buildings and spaces.

"This massive influx is severely stretching the meager resources of this impoverished region, which could lead to tensions with the local community," it said.

In Mougoumba in CAR, the refugees outnumber the locals by 200 to one, while the Likouala region in northern ROC has seen its population double with the arrival of 107,000 refugees.

Although land has been allocated to accommodate 4,000 refugees in ROC, more space needs to be designated for refugee sites and discussions are ongoing with both ROC and CAR governments.

Meanwhile, UNHCR said it has sent emergency staff to support the widely dispersed refugee communities in this region.