ring ▁parties , ▁released ▁from ▁capt ivity ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁their ▁home ▁country . ▁The ▁organiz ational ▁card ▁index ▁of ▁the ▁Agency ▁accum ulated ▁about ▁ 7 ▁million ▁records ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁The ▁card ▁index ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁identification ▁of ▁about ▁ 2 ▁million ▁P OW s ▁and ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁contact ▁their ▁families . ▁The ▁complete ▁index ▁is ▁on ▁loan ▁today ▁from ▁the ▁IC RC ▁to ▁the ▁International ▁Red ▁Cross ▁and ▁Red ▁C res cent ▁Museum ▁in ▁Gene va . ▁The ▁right ▁to ▁access ▁the ▁index ▁is ▁still ▁strictly ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁IC RC . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁entire ▁war , ▁the ▁IC RC ▁monitor ed ▁war ring ▁parties ' ▁comp liance ▁with ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Con vent ions ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁revision ▁and ▁forward ed ▁compla ints ▁about ▁viol ations ▁to ▁the ▁respective ▁country . ▁When ▁chemical ▁weapons ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁this ▁war ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁history , ▁the ▁IC RC ▁vig or ously ▁protest ed ▁against ▁this ▁new ▁type ▁of ▁war fare . ▁Even ▁without ▁having ▁a ▁mand ate ▁from ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Con vent ions , ▁the ▁IC RC ▁tried ▁to ▁am el ior ate ▁the ▁suffering ▁of ▁civil ▁populations . ▁In ▁territ ories ▁that ▁were ▁officially ▁designated ▁as ▁" occup ied ▁territ ories ", ▁the ▁IC RC ▁could ▁assist ▁the ▁civil ian ▁population ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁H ague ▁Convention ' s ▁" L aws ▁and ▁Custom s ▁of ▁War ▁on