Fierce fighting between government forces and rebels in Chad is being closely monitored by Tearfund.
Thousands of people have left the capital N'Djamena as a result of two days of intensive street fighting.
Witnesses tell of bodies on the streets which are also littered with burnt out vehicles. The main market and a radio station have also been destroyed.
The government claims it has suppressed the rebellion but the rebels say they have merely withdrawn so civilians can escape further onslaughts.
Tearfund staff who were in Chad have now left the country and our partners are watching the situation closely in case security deteriorates and they need to move workers.
Tearfund partner CORD works in eastern Chad with refugees from the conflict in Darfur.
It is moving staff out of N’Djamena and, although they continue to work in the east, their efforts are severely hampered by the security situation.
Tim Raby, Tearfund’s Assistant Head of Region for West Africa, said, `The situation in eastern Chad is already very difficult, and the current insecurity means that it is even harder for aid agencies to reach those in desperate need.'
The cause of the fighting is rebel animosity towards Chad’s president, Idriss Deby, who has been in power for 18 years but his opponents claim his regime is corrupt and dictatorial.
The African Union has condemned the rebel attacks and UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon has urged the conflicting parties to engage in dialogue.
The UN is particularly worried about the impact of fighting on humanitarian work in the east of the country.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has pulled out most of its staff from the town of Guereda due to the renewed tensions and because of a series of armed attacks in the area against agency staff and aid workers.