World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported being at Sana’a International Airport in Yemen during an aerial bombardment on Thursday. Tedros, who was with UN and WHO staff, was preparing to board a flight when the airport came under attack, leaving one crew member injured and at least two people dead.
“The air traffic control tower, departure lounge just meters from where we were and the runway were damaged,” Tedros shared on social media. While he and his team remained unharmed, they must await airport repairs before departing. Offering condolences, he expressed sympathy for the families of the victims.
The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a number of strikes in Yemen on Thursday targeting infrastructure related to the Iran-backed Houthi movement, including Sana’a International Airport and three western ports Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Kanatib. More strikes hit the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations.
Houthi-run media outlet Al Masirah TV reported two fatalities at the airport and one at the ports, with 11 others wounded in the attacks. The strikes follow Houthi missile launches, including one that injured 16 people in Tel Aviv over the weekend.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes, saying, “We are determined to sever this terror arm of Iran’s axis. We will persist until we complete the task.”
Last week, Israeli jets bombed Sana’a and Hodeidah, killing nine people. The escalating conflict shows the heightening tensions between Israel and the Houthis, which have been trading blows lately.
The close call that the WHO chief had calls attention to the grave danger that the ongoing violence has brought to civilians and international personnel in the region.
