Israel Bombards Yemen Airport with WHO DG Meters Away
WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus with UN team in Yemen Image credit @DrTedros
UN Chief Decries Israel’s Attack of Airport with WHO DG Escaping Threat
By Raisina Correspondent
New Delhi, December 27: The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus nearly became a collateral damage of Israel’s bombardment of Yemen on Thursday. Ghebreyesus said that two people were killed after Israel attacked the airport while he was just a few meters away from the target of the aerial bombardment.
“Our mission to negotiate the release of the United Nations staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen concluded today. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment,” Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
The WHO Chief further stated that while his team continues to call for the detainees’ immediate release, the Israeli attack left “one of our plane’s crew members” injured. “At least two people were reported killed at the airport,” added the WHO Chief.
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He further stated that the “air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged”. The WHO Chief stated that his team “will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave”.
The UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the indiscriminate aerial bombardment by Israel in the Yemeni capital. Reports said that Isreal mounted an unprecedented aerial bombardment in parts of Yemen with more than 60 fighter jets taking part in the exercise.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement said that the military operations in Yemen will continue until the objective is achieved. Israel is carrying out aerial strikes in Yemen to destroy the support infrastructure of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Ghebreyesus said that his UN and the WHO colleagues are safe. “I arrived in Aden in Yemen and met with Foreign Minister Shaiaa Al Zendani to discuss the humanitarian situation and needs across the country. We will continue to support Yemen’s people in need of assistance,” the WHO DG stated.
The UN Secretary General, meanwhile, expressed concerns that the escalation of military conflicts between Yemen and Israel. “We remain deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region. Airstrikes today on Sana’a International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming,” added Guterres in a post on X.
The UN chief noted that “the airstrikes reportedly resulted in numerous casualties including at least three killed and dozens more injured. A UN Humanitarian Air Service crew member was also injured when the airport was hit.”
“A high-level UN delegation, headed by WHO Director-General was at the airport when the strikes occurred. The delegation had just concluded discussions on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the release of UN and other detained personnel,” added the UN chief.
Guterres also stated that “today’s airstrikes follow around a year of escalatory actions by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the region that threaten civilians, regional stability and freedom of maritime navigation. I reiterate my call for all parties to cease military actions and exercise utmost restraint. International law must be respected. Civilians and humanitarian workers must never be targeted.”
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