Dramatic moment WHO boss ‘narrowly escapes death’ after airstrikes at Yemen airport and says ‘my ears are still ringing’

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Dramatic moment WHO boss ‘narrowly escapes death’ after airstrikes at Yemen airport and says ‘my ears are still ringing’
Author: Annabel Bate
Published: Dec, 29 2024 00:43

THIS is the heart-stopping moment the World Heath Organisation boss is rushed to safety after an Israeli strike hit Yemen's airport. Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyesus says he "narrowly escaped death" after the aerial attack on Boxing Day which injured a member of his team and killed at least six people.

 [Footage released by Al-Masirah TV station of Yemen’s Huthis shows Tedros Adhanom, at Sanaa airport]
Image Credit: The Sun [Footage released by Al-Masirah TV station of Yemen’s Huthis shows Tedros Adhanom, at Sanaa airport]

In the footage captured from the airport in Sanaa, Yemen, Mr Ghebreyesus, 59, is seen reclining in what appears to be a waiting room chair before he is rushed to his feet by his team. The WHO boss is seen linking arms with two men as he is ushered by his group to safety.

 [He was escorted to safety at the airport]
Image Credit: The Sun [He was escorted to safety at the airport]

The footage cuts before showing the moment the Israeli strike devastatingly hits the control tower. Debris is captured flying everywhere as smoke erupts into the sky. Another clip shows a UN World Food Programme plane on a runway sitting stationary. This is a mere few seconds before the missile detrimentally hits the tower.

 [The moment an Israeli strike hit the control tower of Sanaa International Airport]
Image Credit: The Sun [The moment an Israeli strike hit the control tower of Sanaa International Airport]

Once the smoke recedes an injured person is seen helplessly laying on the floor. Mr Ghebreyesus has labelled the horror incident as "chaotic," where he saw people in "disarray and running everywhere". The WHO boss even said that his ears were still ringing from the terrifying incident.

 [World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]
Image Credit: The Sun [World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]

He told the BBC: "There was no shelter, so we were completely exposed. "It's a matter of luck, otherwise if the missile deviated just slightly it could have been on our heads. "So my colleague actually said, after all that, we escaped death narrowly.". The boss added that the civilian airport should not have been an attack point by Israel, meanwhile another UN chief called the strikes "alarming".

 [The WHO boss is seen being ushered out by his team]
Image Credit: The Sun [The WHO boss is seen being ushered out by his team]

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