WHO chief says ‘he narrowly escaped death’ in Israeli strikes on Yemen airport

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed on Saturday that he narrowly escaped death in a deadly Israeli airstrike on the airport in Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told BBC radio his ears were still ringing following Thursday's attack as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, and stressed that the protection for civilian installations under international law must be respected, News.Az reports, citing AFP.

Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday. The attacks against what Israel's military called rebel "military targets" marked the second time since December 19 that Israel has hit targets in Yemen after rebel missile fire towards Israel.

The UN health agency's chief described the scene as the first strike hit.

"We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated," Tedros said.

"The sound was so, so loud... So deafening, actually. Still my ear rings. It's already more than 24 hours now. I don't know if it affected my ear. The explosion was so heavy.

"It was the departure lounge next to us that was hit, and later on the control tower.

"It was very chaotic. People were in disarray and running everywhere and no shelter: we were completely exposed.

"It's a matter of luck. Otherwise, if the missile deviated just slightly, it could have been on our heads... my colleague actually said after all that, we escaped death narrowly."

Huthi Deputy Transport Minister Yahya al-Sayani said four people were killed and 20 wounded in the strikes.

Tedros was visiting Yemen on behalf of UN chief Antonio Guterres as part of a mission to seek the release of detained UN staff and assess the health and humanitarian situations in the war-torn country.

News.Az