The United Nations appealed Friday for a $23 million to help internally displaced people in eastern Chad over the next three months.

Growing distress in Chad had put a strain on the already scarce resources which stretched the humanitarian community's resources to the limit, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Kingsley Amaning.

"Time is of the essence. If we don't act now it will be too late when the rains begin at the end of June, there will be limited access to the areas where most IDP's (internally displaced people) are," he said.

In the past six months the number of IDPs in eastern Chad has doubled to 140,000 due to growing insecurity and violence between ethnic groups and as a result of the crisis in Darfur.

In one instance at the end of March, 9,000 people fled after a clash between rival militias which killed an estimated 400 people in Tiero and Marena.

The money would fund a 90-day IDP Emergency Assistance plan to provide food, water, shelter and health assistance to the people in need. This would be an addition to the $170 million sought in the UN Consolidated Appeal for Chad at the start of the year.