From Victor Osula Abuja
On Thursday, the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was at Yemen’s Sana’a airport when it was hit by Israeli airstrikes.
Israel’s military, on Thursday, said it hit multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport and three ports along the western coast. The air attack also hit Yemen’s Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, as well as military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib.
Ghebreyesus said he was about to board a flight from Sanaa with UN and WHO staff when the airport came under Israeli aerial bombardment. He, however, said he and his colleagues were safe but one crew member was injured.
In a post on X, Ghebreyesus said, “Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees’ immediate release.
“As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged.
“We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.
“My UN and @WHO colleagues and I are safe.
“Our heartfelt condolences to the families whose loved ones lost their lives in the attack.”
