During the post-election violence that hit Cote d'Ivoire in the last 6 months 165, 000 Ivoirians fled to Liberia for shelter Today, many have started to come back to their country.

Reine and her sister in law Deborah just came back from Liberia where they fled four months ago. It's the second time they crossed the border, to bring their belongings back home.

A mother Reine Kpea Zehe: "The Liberians were kind enough to give us a home and we were safe there, but the conditions we really difficult. We have tried to come back several times but now is the right moment. Our brothers told us we could come back."

When she first came back to her village Reine discovered her house and all the villages had been completely looted. She said: "They took everything, my mattress, my son's clothes, and in the kitchen they took all my rice…"

Even the granary has been emptied leaving the villagers with very little food But still, Reine can't hide her joy to be back home. She said: "I feel good, even though we have nothing to eat, I feel at ease. I live the way I lived before. It's all good now."

Reine's house hasn't suffered much from the recent clashes but not everyone had this chance During the recent skirmishes in western Cote d'Ivoire, many villages were destroyed and many houses burnt down The village of Koaro, a couple miles from the Liberian border was still completely deserted a few days ago.

Now, half of the 1000 residents have come back. Among them, Rose Van was 8 months pregnant when she fled to Liberia. She had to give birth in the Liberian camp, in very harsh conditions

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