By Abiola Olawale
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has recounted how he narrowly escaped death during an Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport in Yemen.
Tedros said he was preparing to board a flight when the airport was hit, “causing his ears to ring from the explosions.”
It would be recalled that the Israeli military had launched an attack on Yemen as part of its response to attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who were said to control much of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.
However, Tedros said he was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and assess the humanitarian situation when the strike hit Sanaa International Airport.
According to the WHO Chief, the attack happened very close to where he was, mentioning that the air traffic control tower, departure lounge, and runway were damaged.
He said: “We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated.
“The sound was so, so loud… So deafening, actually. Still, my ear rings. It’s already more than 24 hours now. I don’t know if it affected my ear. The explosion was so heavy.
“It was the departure lounge next to us that was hit, and later on the control tower.
“It was very chaotic. People were in disarray and running everywhere, and there was no shelter: we were completely exposed.
“It’s a matter of luck. Otherwise, if the missile deviated just slightly, it could have been on our heads… my colleague said after all that, we escaped death narrowly.”
He also revealed that one of the plane’s crew members was injured in the attack, and at least two people were reportedly killed at the airport.
He also raised concerns about the safety of civilian infrastructure under international law, emphasizing that civilian installations should be protected regardless of who is present at the time of an attack.
