WHO Chief Survives Israeli Air Strike at Yemen Airport

Dr. Tedros, alongside UN staff, narrowly avoided tragedy as air strikes on a Yemen airport resulted in multiple casualties.

In a grave incident highlighted by ongoing regional tensions, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has described a narrow escape from death while at an airport in Yemen during an Israeli air strike. The attack, which resulted in at least six fatalities, unfolded as Dr. Tedros and other UN personnel were departing Sanaa after a mission focused on negotiating the release of detainees and assessing humanitarian needs.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dr. Tedros expressed how exposed he and his colleagues felt during the chaotic moments of the attack. "It was very chaotic, you know, people were in disarray and running everywhere," he remarked. He noted there was no shelter available, and they were at the mercy of the situation, saying, "It's a matter of luck, otherwise if the missile deviated just slightly it could have been on our heads."

According to the WHO chief, the public knowledge of his presence at the airport did little to change the retroactive narrative of civilian safety. "It doesn’t matter whether I’m there or not. Any civilian life is life—my life is not better than another human being," he emphasized. Dr. Tedros specifically condemned the attack on a civilian facility like the airport, insisting it should have remained untouched.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserted that their strikes targeted military installations associated with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, which they accuse of utilizing civilian infrastructure for smuggling weapons and hosting Iranian officials. The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported casualty figures, stating three fatalities and approximately 30 injuries due to the attack on the airport, with additional casualties resulting from strikes on local power stations and ports.

In response to the incidents, the Houthi faction described the airstrikes as barbaric and vowed retaliation. The ongoing conflict has seen Houthi rebels conducting strikes against Israel since the beginning of the war that reignited in October 2023, following a Palestinian militant attack that resulted in significant Israeli casualties.

Recent reports indicate the ongoing cycle of retaliation, with Houthi forces launching missiles toward Israel, which were intercepted by IDF forces before they could reach the intended targets. The conflict continues to spotlight the complexities of war in the region, further impacting the humanitarian crises already prevalent in Yemen.