The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday he only narrowly escaped death in fatal Israeli strikes on the airport in Yemen’s Houthi rebel-held capital.
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WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his ears were still ringing following Thursday’s attack as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, and stressed that the protection for civilian installations under international law must be respected.
Israeli air strikes hit Sanaa’s international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday. The attacks against what Israel’s military called rebel “military targets” marked the second time since December 19 that Israel has hit targets in Yemen after rebel missiles were fired towards Israel.
The UN health agency’s chief described the scene as the first strike hit.
“We heard a heavy explosion nearby, and then I think repeated,” Tedros said.
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“The sound was so, so loud … So deafening, actually. Still my ear rings. It’s already more than 24 hours now. I don’t know if it affected my ear. The explosion was so heavy.