- Vatche Arslanian
Vatche Arslanian (
1955 -April 8 ,2003 ) was a member of theCanadian Red Cross and head oflogistics for theInternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) inIraq . 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 inBaghdad 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 citizen who emigrated from
Syria . He worked for the Canadian military for a number of years and moved toOromocto ,New Brunswick when he was transferred toCFB Gagetown to serve as captain at theartillery school. He was released from service in 1995 when he refused a transfer toCFB Shilo inManitoba . 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 theMiddle East andNorth 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 External links
*" [http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=2107 Reflections from a Canadian Red Cross worker in Iraq] ", an interview with the Canadian Red Cross, January 2003
*" [http://www.nb.cbc.ca/mainstreet/realaudio/iraq318.ram Oromocto Man Working For The International Red Cross In Iraq] ", an interview on CBC Radio,March 18 , 2003 (RealAudio format)
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8256423 Vatche Arslanian] profile page onFind-A-Grave
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