WHO director confirms presence at Sana'a airport during Israeli attack

The director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed with a post on X his presence at Sana'a airport in Yemen when it came under Israeli attack on Thursday.

"Our mission to negotiate the release of UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote. 

"As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged," he said. 

Ghebreyesus did not name Israel as the attacker. 

"We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave. My UN and WHO colleagues and I are safe."