Rita Odafe
On Saturday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), shared that he narrowly avoided death during deadly Israeli strikes targeting Yemen’s capital, currently controlled by the Huthi rebels.
In a BBC radio interview, Tedros detailed that the noise from the attack lingered in his ears as he prepared to leave Sanaa, highlighting the necessity for international laws that protect civilian infrastructure.
It is important to note that Israeli air strikes occurred on Thursday, targeting Sanaa’s international airport along with additional locations in Yemen.
This assault on what Israel’s military labeled as rebel military sites was the second attack since December 19, following missile fire directed at Israel from the rebels.
The chief of the UN health agency recounted the initial explosion, stating,
“We heard a powerful explosion nearby, then there were additional blasts. The sound was incredibly loud… almost deafening. Even after more than 24 hours, my ears are still ringing. I’m uncertain if they’ve been impacted. It was such a significant blast.
“The departure lounge near us was struck, followed by the control tower being hit.”
“It was complete chaos. People were in panic, running without anywhere to hide: we were fully exposed.”
“It’s just luck. If the missile had veered slightly, the outcome could have been disastrous… my colleague remarked that we had narrowly escaped death after everything that happened,” Tedros added.
