World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed on Saturday that he narrowly survived a fatal Israeli airstrike on the airport in Yemen’s Huthi-controlled capital, Sanaa.
Speaking to BBC Radio, Tedros described the harrowing experience as Israeli airstrikes hit the airport on Thursday while he was preparing to board a flight. The WHO chief stressed the importance of protecting civilian installations under international law.
“We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated,” Tedros recounted. “The sound was so loud, so deafening. My ears are still ringing, even 24 hours later. The departure lounge next to us was hit, followed by the control tower. It was utter chaos. People were running everywhere with no shelter, completely exposed.”
Tedros described the near-miss as a matter of luck, saying, “If the missile deviated slightly, it could have hit us directly. My colleague even remarked that we narrowly escaped death.”
The strikes, which the Israeli military said targeted rebel “military positions,” marked the second such attack on Yemen since December 19 following missile fire from Huthi rebels toward Israel. Yemen’s Huthi Deputy Transport Minister Yahya al-Sayani reported that the strikes killed four people and injured 20 others.
Tedros was in Yemen on a UN mission on behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to address the detention of UN staff and evaluate the dire health and humanitarian conditions in the conflict-ravaged country.
When asked if Israel was aware of his presence at the airport, Tedros said, “Our flights are internationally known. I would assume those who need to know were aware. But whether they knew or not, it doesn’t matter—civilian installations must be protected under international law.”
He emphasised the obligation to uphold international law, regardless of circumstances, saying, “Whether I was there or not is irrelevant. Civilian facilities must be safeguarded.”
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