Vatche Arslanian
Encyclopedia
Vatche Arslanian was a member of the Canadian Red Cross
and head of logistics
for the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) in Iraq
. He was one of the six ICRC delegates who chose to stay in the country during the 2003 Iraq war
and continue helping local relief workers. He was killed by gunfire in Baghdad
while travelling with two local Red Cross workers, who were able to escape. Five other civilian vehicles were caught in crossfire, and thirteen people were killed in total.
Arslanian was a Canadian
-Armenian
citizen who emigrated
from Syria
. He worked for the Canadian military
for a number of years and moved to Oromocto, New Brunswick
when he was transferred to CFB Gagetown
to serve as captain
at the artillery
school. He was released from service in 1995 when he refused a transfer to CFB Shilo
in Manitoba
. He insisted on remaining in Oromocto to continue his efforts to reunite his family.
From 1992 to 1998 Arslanian served on the Oromocto town council; he served as deputy mayor
for part of this period.
In 1999, Arslanian began his association with the Red Cross. He volunteered to help at CFB Gagetown which was receiving over 1,000 Kosovar
refugees. He did his first overseas work with the ICRC in 2000, when he served as a logistician in the former Soviet Union
republic of Georgia
.
Since July 17, 2001, Arslanian had been in charge of logistics for the ICRC in Iraq. Balthasar Staehelin, ICRC delegate-general for the Middle East
and North Africa
, said "the courageous decision by six ICRC expatriates to stay in Baghdad voluntarily and work alongside their local colleagues during the worst of the fighting made a marked difference to the lives of thousands of people. Arslanian was one of those six, and we can find some solace in knowing that he helped to make that difference." http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=002796&tid=1
See also: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
, Monument to Canadian Aid Workers
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society is a Canadian humanitarian charitable organization and one of 186 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies....
and head of logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
for the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
(ICRC) in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He was one of the six ICRC delegates who chose to stay in the country during the 2003 Iraq war
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and continue helping local relief workers. He was killed by gunfire in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
while travelling with two local Red Cross workers, who were able to escape. Five other civilian vehicles were caught in crossfire, and thirteen people were killed in total.
Arslanian was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
citizen who emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. He worked for the Canadian military
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
for a number of years and moved to Oromocto, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
when he was transferred to CFB Gagetown
CFB Gagetown
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, referred to as CFB Gagetown is a large Canadian Forces Base located in southwestern New Brunswick.- Construction of the base :...
to serve as captain
Captain (Canada)
Captain is a rank in the Canadian military.In the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, the rank insignia of an army and air force captain is two wide bars.The rank insignia of a navy captain is four wide bars....
at the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
school. He was released from service in 1995 when he refused a transfer to CFB Shilo
CFB Shilo
Canadian Forces Base Shilo is an Operations and Training base of the Canadian Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba. During the 1990s, Canadian Forces Base Shilo was also designated as an Area Support Unit, which acts as a local base of operations for south-west Manitoba in times of military...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He insisted on remaining in Oromocto to continue his efforts to reunite his family.
From 1992 to 1998 Arslanian served on the Oromocto town council; he served as deputy mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
for part of this period.
In 1999, Arslanian began his association with the Red Cross. He volunteered to help at CFB Gagetown which was receiving over 1,000 Kosovar
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
refugees. He did his first overseas work with the ICRC in 2000, when he served as a logistician in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
republic of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
Since July 17, 2001, Arslanian had been in charge of logistics for the ICRC in Iraq. Balthasar Staehelin, ICRC delegate-general for the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, said "the courageous decision by six ICRC expatriates to stay in Baghdad voluntarily and work alongside their local colleagues during the worst of the fighting made a marked difference to the lives of thousands of people. Arslanian was one of those six, and we can find some solace in knowing that he helped to make that difference." http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=002796&tid=1
See also: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
, Monument to Canadian Aid Workers
Monument to Canadian Aid Workers
The Monument to Canadian Aid Workers is a monument in the Canadian city of Ottawa dedicated to Canadian aid workers who have lost their lives during foreign deployments...
External links
- Reflections from a Canadian Red Cross worker in Iraq, an interview with the Canadian Red Cross, January 2003
- Oromocto Man Working For The International Red Cross In Iraq, an interview on CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Radio, March 18, 2003 (RealAudioRealAudioRealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks and first released in April 1995. It uses a variety of audio codecs, ranging from low-bitrate formats that can be used over dialup modems, to high-fidelity formats for music. It can also be used as a streaming audio format, that is...
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