WHO Chief Narrowly Escapes Israeli Airstrike on Yemen’s Sanaa Airport
In a harrowing incident on Thursday, Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport, narrowly missing World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The attack injured a crew member of a United Nations (UN) plane as Tedros prepared to board a flight.
Tedros recounted the chilling moments on X (formerly Twitter): “As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa, the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members sustained injuries. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge – just a few metres from where we stood – and the runway suffered damage.” Despite the chaos, Tedros and his team remained unharmed.
Houthi-controlled media reported that the airstrike on the airport killed three individuals and injured at least 40 others. Another attack on the strategic port city of Hodeidah claimed three more lives. These strikes have intensified Yemen’s already dire humanitarian crisis.
Israeli Military’s Stance
The Israeli military explained that the strikes targeted infrastructure allegedly used by Yemen’s Houthi forces for smuggling Iranian weapons and facilitating the entry of senior Iranian officials. They described these facilities as critical to the Houthis’ operational capabilities.
The Houthis launched drones and missiles toward Israel multiple times, framing their actions as solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. This ongoing exchange of hostilities has added complexity to the broader regional conflict.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The attacks worsened Yemen’s dire humanitarian situation, which already struggles with widespread poverty, disease outbreaks, and severe resource shortages. Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo reported from the UN headquarters in New York that the UN safely evacuated all staff in Yemen following the attack. “This was a very close call,” Elizondo noted, highlighting the growing risks faced by humanitarian workers in the region.
The escalation of violence raises significant concerns about the safety of humanitarian operations and Yemen’s overall stability. The country continues to grapple with the devastating effects of prolonged conflict, compounded by external interventions and geopolitical rivalries.
