Anna is able to send letters to her son and receive replies from him thanks to delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who visit prisoners of war. During these visits, the prisoners can give the delegates written or oral messages for their families back home. The messages are transferred to the ICRC delegation on the other side of the front line and delivered to their relatives. The relatives, in turn, write replies, which the ICRC delivers to the prisoners of war.

This is one of the reasons why it is so important for the ICRC to be able to visit prisoners of war regularly. It allows them to stay in touch with loved ones, which is crucial both for the prisoners of war themselves and for their relatives: it helps them cope and survive challenging times. It is also a right stipulated in the Geneva Conventions.

“The more time passes, the more difficult it becomes. ... And every time a letter arrives, it's like a breath of fresh air, new, clean, finally. When you see that the words are truly written by his hand. Truly, the words that only he can speak. It gives you some hope,” says Valeria, whose husband is being held.