The ICRC began its work helping victims of the successive conflicts in Afghanistan in 1980, during the Soviet invasion, helping Afghan war victims from bases in neighbouring Pakistan. The organization did not get permission to establish a permanent presence in the war-torn country until 1987. It has carried out a broad range of humanitarian activities uninterrupted ever since. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the ICRC's permanent presence in Afghanistan.

One of the events prepared to mark the occasion is a photo exhibition that will be unveiled in Kabul on 12 June 2007, along with an ICRC documentary film (excerpt available at icrc.org). The exhibition comprises over 120 photos, covering the activities of the ICRC in Afghanistan between 1982 and 2006, through four eras of conflict. It is meant to serve as a record of endless suffering inflicted on the Afghan people by 28 years of devastating war and as a tribute to the amazing resilience of its people. The gallery that follows provides a sampling of this exhibition, which will also be presented in the course of the year in other cities in Afghanistan where the ICRC is present, namely Herat, Mazar, Kandahar and Jalalabad.