WHO Chief's Narrow Escape Amid Israeli Airstrikes in Yemen

Dr. Tedros and UN staff narrowly avoided disaster during an Israeli airstrike while assessing humanitarian conditions in Yemen.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, shared a harrowing account of a near-fatal incident when he was present at Sanaa airport during Israeli airstrikes that reportedly targeted military installations of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The attack on Thursday resulted in at least six fatalities, as Dr. Tedros described the situation as chaotic, with civilians scattering for safety.

“We felt completely exposed,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “It’s a matter of luck... if the missile deviated just slightly, it could have been on our heads.” The WHO chief and other UN officials were in Yemen to negotiate the release of detainees and to assess the dire humanitarian conditions facing the country. He emphasized that every civilian life is valuable, stating, “My life is not better than another human being's.”

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) justified the airstrikes as targeted operations against military assets used by the Houthis for smuggling Iranian arms and facilitating the movement of senior Iranian officials. However, Dr. Tedros highlighted that the airport is primarily a civilian facility, and its targeting raises significant concerns about the protection of civilian infrastructures in conflict zones.

In contrast, the Houthi-run Saba news agency reported three casualties at the airport and significant injuries to others, while other areas were also affected. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels condemned the attacks as “barbaric” and vowed to retaliate against Israel until the conflict in Gaza ceased. The region has been embroiled in conflict since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023, which began with a surprise attack by Palestinian militants on Israel.

The Houthis, who have held significant power in western Yemen since 2015, have been involved in retaliatory missile strikes against Israel. On the same day Dr. Tedros’s team was targeted, the Houthis claimed to have launched an attack on Nevatim airbase, which was intercepted by Israeli defense systems.

As the conflict intensifies, the situation in Yemen remains precarious, with international humanitarian efforts increasingly challenged by ongoing military operations.