According to the ICRC, the missing staff member, Vatche Arslanian, is feared to have been seriously injured when the ICRC vehicle he was traveling in and an accompanying vehicle were hit by gunfire.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident were not known yet and it has been impossible to establish whether the ICRC team was caught in a crossfire or came under direct attack. The two vehicles were clearly marked with large red crosses visible from a distance.

Arslanian, a 48-year-old Canadian, was in charge of logistics for the ICRC group in Iraq.

ICRC delegates and local staff have been unable to move about in Baghdad since Wednesday morning. Given the chaotic and totally unpredictable situation in the city, getting from one place to another involves incalculable risks.

An ICRC spokesperson said the ICRC was deeply distressed by its inability to rescue its staff member and by its temporary inability to pursue its emergency assistance for those in need. The ICRC team in Baghdad would continue to assess the situation and resume its activities if and when possible.

The ICRC appealed to all belligerents to grant safe passage to all vehicles and staff working under the red cross and red crescent emblems and to allow them to perform their live-saving tasks.

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2003)