WHO official reports and international news coverage

Israel Strikes Yemen's Civilian Airport in Sanaa, Killing 4 and Wounding 20, WHO Chief Escapes

Dec 28, 2024, 09:37 AM

Israel conducted airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, targeting Houthi rebels at the city's international airport on Thursday. The World Health Organization's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at the airport preparing to board a flight when the strikes occurred. He reported that the attack caused damage to the airport's air traffic control tower and departure lounge, which were just meters away from where he and other UN staff were located. One of the plane's crew members was injured during the incident, and at least four people were killed and 20 wounded at the airport. Tedros was in Yemen as part of a mission to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and to assess the health and humanitarian situations in the war-torn country. He later described the experience as chaotic and emphasized the need for respect for civilian installations under international law, noting that the airport is a civilian facility.