Vatche Arslanian was born in Aleppo, Syria, on 28 May 1955. He attended the city’s Armenian Catholic Champagnat College from 1960 to 1974 and emigrated from Syria to Canada the following year. To begin with, Vatche lived with an uncle in Vancouver; he then moved to Toronto and Montreal, before settling in the small town of Oromocto, New Brunswick. He learnt English and French along the way.
His early years in Canada were tough. Vatche worked as a dishwasher, taxi driver and security guard to put himself through university and bring family members from Syria to Canada. But then Vatche was never someone to sit around and see what life would bring: he seized it with both hands.
He studied political sciences at the University of Montreal (1979–1983); while at university, he joined the Canadian Army Reserve in the artillery. On leaving university, Vatche signed up with the army full time, serving from 1984 to 1995. He was an artillery officer, rising to the rank of captain.
In 1992, while still in the army, Vatche was elected to Oromocto Town Council. He was a councillor for six years and became deputy mayor. He gained a certificate in municipal government from Hanson College in 1994. Vatche was committed to his community and volunteered with numerous organizations: the Boy Scouts, the Oromocto Rotary Club where he was secretary, the Military Family Assistance Program, and the Oromocto & Area Chamber of Commerce.
He had also, in 1991, started volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross. In the summer of 1999, more than 1,000 Kosovar refugees arrived in Gagetown, New Brunswick. Vatche worked for three months on the Red Cross refugee assistance programme. He even became a mentor to one of the young Kosovars, helping the teenage boy adapt to a new life in Canada. Vatche stayed in touch with him over the years through regular phone calls. He knew only too well the difficulties of being an immigrant.
After his experiences with the Kosovar refugees – or “guests” as he called them – Vatche was inspired to work internationally with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. In 1999 he completed the basic training course for delegates in Montpellier, Quebec. Because of his experience as an army officer and logistics specialist, the Canadian Red Cross proposed his services to the ICRC. In January 2000, he began his first ICRC assignment in Sukhumi, Abkhazia (Georgia).
As a logistics delegate, Vatche managed a team of 43 staff – drivers, warehouse workers, mechanics and field officers – delivering 5,000 tons of relief materials a month across the region. He loved his work and the camaraderie with his colleagues. As a team leader, he was open, supportive, true to his word and always focused on the job at hand. A tireless fighter against injustice and inhumanity, he was always happiest when in direct contact with people benefiting from Red Cross services. He was incredibly proud to be a member of the Red Cross family and wore his Canadian Red Cross clothing on assignment with the ICRC.
In July 2001, Vatche moved to Baghdad, Iraq, as head of logistics, managing the ICRC’s fleet of 65 vehicles, five warehouses and around 40 staff in the capital, north and south of the country. His logistics team supported major humanitarian programmes, delivering food, water, medical supplies and other life-saving material across Iraq. He also travelled extensively, regularly visiting ICRC subdelegations in Basra and Erbil, as well as offices in Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah. In January 2002 he participated in the repatriation of 700 Iraqi prisoners of war from Iran. Vatche later described it as a “touching, highly emotional, but deeply satisfying” moment, as some had been imprisoned for up to 20 years.
As on his first ICRC assignment, Vatche settled easily into delegation life, making many friends. A good communicator and motivator, he was conscious of creating a healthy working environment, always looking out for members of his team. Being fluent in Arabic certainly helped in this regard. And when colleagues needed a translator, such as during repatriations or visiting detention centres, he didn’t hesitate. He kept a toy bulldozer on his desk as a reminder of his mission and the need to persevere whatever the challenge.
With the threat of war in Iraq looming, Vatche agreed to extend his contract, choosing to remain with his team. They still had a job to do: the Iraqi people needed them. He was one of a handful of ICRC expatriate staff to stay in the country after war broke out on 20 March 2003. On 8 April there was intense fighting in Baghdad as US-led coalition forces battled for control of the Iraqi capital. After a long day at work, Vatche offered to drive one of his colleagues home across the city. It was a typically selfless act. On the way, their ICRC vehicle was caught in crossfire, and Vatche was shot and killed. He was 48 and died wearing his Canadian Red Cross t-shirt. His colleague survived but around a dozen civilians were killed in the incident, which also involved several other vehicles. The city fell the following day.
As Kate Wood, vice-president of the Canadian Red Cross, said at his memorial ceremony, Vatche “typified the spirit and core strengths of both Canada and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.” She added: “If one can sum up this extraordinary humanitarian in three words it would be: compassionate, sympathetic and humble.”
A memorial honouring Vatche was unveiled at the ICRC delegation in Baghdad in May 2003.
