Bujumbura, Burundi - Some 4,057 Burundian refugees have returned from exile since January, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bujumbura announced Thursday.

The bulk of the assisted returnees consists of 3,668 Burundians, who returned home from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while the rest came from Rwanda (4), Tanzania (308) and others (77), according to UNHCR.

From April 2002 to date, UNHCR said it has attended to a total of 514,453 Burundians returning home after fleeing the civil wars of 1972 and 1993 in their country.

In Burundi, UNHCR said it provided protection and assistance to some 44,986 refugees and asylum seekers, including 21,576 Congolese refugees and 68 of different nationalities.

The United Nations specialized agency said it has, since the beginning of 2011, spent over US$ 5.2 million to protect and assist asylum seekers and approximately US$ 1.2 million on returnees.

Pana 17/11/2011