Rabat – World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has developed tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears, following an Israeli airstrike in Yemen.
The attack took place at Sanaa International Airport last week as Tedros and his team were preparing to board a flight after concluding humanitarian talks in the Yemeni capital.
The airport attack killed at least three people and injured 30 others, according to the Houthi-run al-Masirah television.
“I am okay, but I have developed tinnitus from the loud explosion. I hope it will be temporary,” Tedros shared on X after returning to Geneva.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) targeted infrastructure at Sanaa International Airport on Thursday last week, causing damage to the control tower, departure lounge, and runway.
According to Tedros, the strike injured one of his team members, who is now receiving medical treatment in Jordan.
The UN delegation had wrapped up discussions on Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and the release of detained personnel.
Tedros said in a previous statement that “the airport came under aerial bombardment” as they were preparing to board their flight. “One of our plane’s crew members was injured, and the destruction around us was severe,” he added.
The attack has forced the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to suspend operations temporarily. Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Programme, expressed concerns about the suspension, saying it would hinder aid delivery during a time of immense humanitarian need.
Elsewhere in Yemen, Israeli strikes on the western city of Hodeidah hit key infrastructure, including ports and a power station. The attacks reportedly killed three people and injured at least 10 others, adding to the 40 people injured across multiple strikes.
The IOF claimed responsibility for the strikes, saying that they hit military infrastructure used by Yemen’s Houthi group. This is a claim Israel has often made to justify its massacres on unarmed civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, including in residential areas and hospitals.
