WHO chief Tedros was meters away from Israeli attack on Yemen airport

A wave of Israeli air attacks hit Yemen’s main airport just as the World Health Organization’s director-general said he was about to board a flight there, wounding one of the United Nations plane’s crew, the WHO chief has said.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X that he was just meters away from the attack on Sanaa airport on Thursday.

“As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa … the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured,” he said.

“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge – just a few meters from where we were – and the runway were damaged,” he said, adding that he and his colleagues were safe.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident.

The Yemeni Saba news agency said that three people were killed in the strikes on the airport and another three were killed after Israel hit the key port city of Hodeidah, while 40 others were wounded in Israeli attacks.

Yemen’s Ansarallah has repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from UN headquarters in New York, said Ghebreyesus and his staff were evacuated out to safety shortly after the attack on the airport.

“The UN tells us all of their staff are accounted for. But make no mistake about it, this was a very close call,” Elizondo said.

UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told reporters that the delegation had just concluded discussions on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and were negotiating the release of detained UN staff members.

“The secretary-general emphasizes that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected at all times, and he appeals to all to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she said.

“Humanitarian relief personnel also must not be targeted and must be respected and protected at all times.”