"Returns are not yet a wide trend, but they are already being seen in some instances," the agency said.

Displaced people told U.N. interviewers that they hope to return soon to areas such as Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal. U.N. officials say people are returning to Konna, which many residents fled after militants overran that city.

The seizure of Konna, on January 10, prompted the French military intervention in Mali. The town is back under Mali's control.