Dr Tedros: Near Miss in Yemen Airstrike; WHO Director Speaks Out
In a chilling account, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed he and his team came close to tragedy after being caught in an Israeli airstrike at Sana’a International Airport in Yemen. The attack, which occurred on Thursday, left at least six people dead.
Dr. Tedros, who had been in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained humanitarian workers and assess the humanitarian situation, was at the airport when it was targeted. He described the scene as chaotic, with people running aimlessly and no immediate shelter. "We were completely exposed," he said, speaking to BBC on Saturday. "It was just luck that we weren’t hit."
Military sources from Israel confirmed that the strike was a precision operation aimed at military targets belonging to the Houthi rebel group, which is backed by Iran.
The WHO chief, who has led the organization since 2017 and has frequently been in the public eye during the COVID-19 pandemic, noted that his presence at the airport was publicly known before the attack. He also underscored that the airport is a civilian facility and should not have been targeted.
"Whether I was there or not, any civilian life is precious — my life is not more valuable than anyone else’s," Dr. Tedros asserted.
Despite the harrowing experience, Dr. Tedros and his WHO team are safe. However, a colleague from the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service was seriously injured in the attack.
The airstrike caused significant damage to the airport, including the air traffic control tower and the departure lounge, which were just meters away from where the WHO team was waiting. The team had to wait for repairs before they could leave.
Dr. Tedros expressed his deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the attack. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones in this senseless act of violence," he said in a statement.
