ICRC delegation in Kabul. Family members speak with their detained relatives by video teleconference.

Of all the strain placed on a family during an armed conflict, not knowing the fate of a missing loved one is among the hardest to bear.

The ICRC video teleconference programme has been a major success, with over 1,500 calls made over the last nine months between detainees in Bagram and their families, who came to the ICRC delegation in Kabul from around the country. The videophone system was an important first step in reassuring family members that their relatives held in Bagram were alive and well, and vice-versa. However, nothing can replace the intensity of meeting in person. The first face-to-face visits at Bagram Theater Internment Facility began in late September 2008.