More than 10,000 Burundians returned home during August as part of the UN refugee agency's voluntary repatriation programme, and many more are expected to come.
"We expect the demand to remain strong," Jennifer Pagonis, spokeswomen for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said. "Our overall planning figure for repatriation is 400,000. In 2004, we hope to repatriate 150,000 Burundians and aim for a similar number in 2005."
So far this year, almost 77,000 refugees have returned. Most had been in Tanzania. Others had been in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Burundians fled to these countries during hostilities between 1993 and 2003.
UNHCR says it is helping to reintegrate returnees by helping to provide shelter, medical care, nutrition, crop production, schools and education for children. But the agency is severely under funded. It launched an appeal in June for $21 million for 2004 and a further $62.23 million for 2005.
[UNHCR story at www.unhcr.ch]
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