WHO Director-General Tedros Recounts Near Death Experience At Yemen Airport

WHO Director-General Tedros has recounted his near-death experience at Yemen airport following Israeli strikes.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed on Saturday that he narrowly escaped death during Israeli airstrikes at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, a facility controlled by Huthi rebels.

Speaking to BBC Radio, Tedros described the harrowing experience as he prepared to board a flight during Thursday’s attack.

He emphasized the importance of adhering to international laws that protect civilian infrastructure during conflicts.

 

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According to AFP, the strikes targeted what the Israeli military referred to as “rebel military targets” in Yemen. This marked the second attack since December 19 following missile fire from Yemeni rebels toward Israel.

 

Recounting the incident, Tedros 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 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 actually said after all that, we escaped death narrowly.”

 

Civilian Casualties and Mission Purpose

Huthi Deputy Transport Minister Yahya al-Sayani reported that the strikes killed four people and injured 20 others.

Tedros was in Yemen representing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, tasked with addressing the humanitarian crisis, evaluating the country’s health situation, and advocating for the release of detained UN staff.

 

When asked whether Israel was aware of his presence at the airport, Tedros replied, “Our flights and so on are internationally known. So I would assume that the people who like to know, know. I would assume that. But I think it would be good to ask Israel on this.

“It doesn’t matter whether I am there or not… if it’s a civilian installation, it has to be protected, based on international law.

 

“Whether they knew or not, it doesn’t matter… international law should be respected.”

 

He stressed that the airport, which was serving civilian flights at the time, had a departure lounge filled with non-combatants and civilian aircraft on the tarmac.

 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tedros shared video footage from the attack and expressed gratitude to airport staff and colleagues who shielded him during the assault. He and his team were later evacuated to Jordan.

 

“My heart goes out to our colleagues on the front lines and the civilians who face such danger every day,” he wrote, highlighting the dire conditions faced by those living through the ongoing conflict.