Kabul, capital of Afghanistan - a place synonymous with war, ruin, despair... but as in all catastrophic situations, there is another side: that of resilience, determination, selflessness, and hope.

Alberto Cairo, a 52-year-old orthopaedic specialist from Turin in Italy, is in charge of the ICRC's programme for war disabled, which since 1988 has helped some 80,000 people. He has written about some of them in a personal journal.

Originally published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, these sketches of everyday life have been brought together in "Storie da Kabul", published by Einaudi in April 2003. This book was also published in French by Presse Universitaire de France in November 2007.

Read also the feature about Alberto Cairo.