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Yacoubian, Hrag

University of British Columbia

This dissertation explores the year 1920 in the Near East and the South Caucasus, focusing on the humanitarian efforts of Near East Relief amidst the backdrop of the Armenian Genocide in the Cilicia region of Turkey and the nascent Armenian Republic. Using historical analysis, it examines the endeavors of Near East Relief humanitarians who navigated perilous conditions to provide aid and support to survivors and refugees. By scrutinizing primary sources, including personal accounts, organizational records, and contemporary publications, this study reconstructs the multifaceted landscape of humanitarianism in two different regions during this critical period: the South Caucasus and southeastern Turkey. It explores the challenges faced by humanitarian workers, who included nurses, physicians, teachers, and other professionals, ranging from logistical hurdles to political intricacies, and evaluates the impact of their interventions on the lives of those affected by the Armenian Genocide. Additionally, this dissertation illuminates the broader historical significance of these humanitarian efforts, shedding light on their implications for the evolution of modern humanitarianism in the Near East. This dissertation argues that Near East Relief humanitarians practiced modern, human rights-oriented, and politically engaged humanitarianism during the Armenian Genocide. An interdisciplinary approach drawing on nursing, history, and humanitarian studies contributes to a nuanced understanding of the complexities inherent in humanitarian action amidst conflict and crisis, in the aftermath of one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Text

2024-10-03

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89329

Nursing

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/