District Deputy Commissioner S Thadou told The Indian Express today that while the number of refugees had gone up from 20,000 to about 25,000 following fresh violence earlier this month, about 5,000 people, mostly Santhals, have returned to their villages in the past two days.

He also refuted allegations by the Raj Disom Manjhi Baisi, a Santhal organisation, that 3,000 Santhals had died in the camps during the last two years due to unhygienic conditions and malnutrition, and said that the actual death figure was not more than 500.

He, however, admitted that the district was running short of doctors and that only 37 doctors were currently available against a sanctioned strength of 113. ``But voluntaryorganisations are helping us in a big way with medical and para-medical personnel, medicine and even foodstuff and clothes,'' Thadou said.

Ten doctors, meanwhile, have been shifted temporarily from Guwahati and Dhubri to help the Kokrajhar district administration, who are working round the clock in the camps, he added.

Thadou claimed that death rate in the relief camps was far less than the global death rate.