Dramatic moment WHO boss ‘narrowly escapes death’ after airstrikes at Yemen airport and says ‘my ears are still ringing’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
Mr Ghebreyesus was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained staff as well as discuss the health and humanitarian situation in the country.
In a post on X he revealed one of his plane’s crew members was hurt in the strike.
The WHO boss said: “As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa, 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.
“We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.”
He added: “Our mission to negotiate the release of staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen concluded today.
“We continue to call for the detainees’ immediate release.”
Israel stepped up its blitz of Yemen’s Houthi rebels as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “We’re just getting started on them.”
The strongman told the terror group they would soon suffer the fate of Iran-backed allies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria if they continued to attack the Jewish nation.
Targets on Thursday included Sanaa International Airport and the nearby Hezyaz power plant.
Terror bases in Hodeida, Salif and Ras Qantib ports were also targeted.
Footage showed buildings at the Ras Kutaib power station in Hodeida consumed by flames after waves of air strikes.
Netanyahu said: “We’re just getting started with them.
“We won’t allow them to attack Israel these days, today and any other day.
“We will strike them to the bitter end until they learn.”
“Hamas learned, Hezbollah learned, and Syria learned. The Houthis will learn too.”
A missile launched from Yemen — which is 1,000 miles away from Israel — was intercepted during the raids.