WHO chief 'escaped death narrowly' in Yemen airport attack

The manager wide of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said helium and his colleagues "escaped decease narrowly" portion being caught up successful an Israeli aerial onslaught connected an airdrome successful Yemen.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recounted feeling "completely exposed" during the attack, which killed astatine slightest six, successful an interrogation with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He and different UN unit had been leaving Sanaa, successful occidental Yemen, connected Thursday pursuing a travel to negociate the merchandise of UN detainees and measure the humanitarian concern successful the state erstwhile the airdrome was hit.

Israel's subject said it carried retired "intelligence-based strikes connected subject targets" belonging to Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

"It was precise chaotic, you know, radical were successful disarray and moving everywhere," Dr Tedros said connected Saturday.

He added determination was "no shelter, truthful we were wholly exposed. It's a substance of luck, different if the rocket deviated conscionable somewhat it could person been connected our heads".

"So my workfellow really said, aft each that, we escaped decease narrowly," helium said.

The WHO main - who has led the organisation since 2017 and made regular nationalist appearances during the Covid pandemic - said his beingness astatine the airdrome was nationalist cognition anterior to the strike.

But helium added: "It doesn't substance whether I'm determination oregon not. Any civilian beingness is beingness - my beingness is not amended than different quality being."

Dr Tedros said the airdrome is simply a civilian installation and truthful should not person been attacked by Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airdrome had been utilized by Houthi rebels "to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region" which it utilized to onslaught Israel, arsenic good arsenic to invited "senior Iranian officials".

"This is simply a further illustration of the Houthis' exploitation of civilian infrastructure for subject purposes," it added.

The Houthi-run Saba quality bureau said 3 radical were killed astatine the airdrome and a further 30 injured.

It said different 3 radical were killed and 10 wounded successful different strikes, which targeted powerfulness stations and a larboard successful the region.

It is unclear whether the fatalities were civilians oregon Houthi rebels.

The Iran-backed radical described the attacks arsenic "barbaric" and "aggressive". It vowed to proceed launching strikes connected Israel until the struggle successful the Gaza Strip ceased.

Houthi rebels person been attacking Israel since the archetypal months of the war, which began successful October 2023 erstwhile Palestinian militants launched a astonishment onslaught connected Israel, sidesplitting astir 1,200.

Israel has retaliated against Houthi attacks with intermittent strikes.

On Saturday, the Houthis said they had launched a onslaught connected the Nevatim airbase successful cardinal Israel. The IDF said a rocket from Yemen was intercepted by the aerial unit earlier crossing into Israeli airspace.

The Houthis are an equipped governmental and spiritual radical backed by Iran. The radical has ruled ample parts of occidental Yemen, including the superior Sanaa, since ousting the internationally recognised authorities successful 2015.