UN aircrew member severely injured in Israeli airstrike on Yemen
An image grab from a handout video provided by Yemen's Houthis' official Al-Masirah TV station on December 26, 2024, shows the damage at the control tower following Israeli strikes on Sanaa airport (AL-MASIRAH TV / AFP)
A UN aircrew member was among those who were wounded after Israeli forces pounded Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport
The aircrew is now recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson on Friday.
The injuries sustained were serious, but the unnamed individual is reportedly showing signs of satisfactory recovery.
The airstrike, part of a broader offensive targeting Houthi-linked sites in Yemen, was claimed by Israel. Houthi media reported at least six fatalities in the attack, which also damaged critical infrastructure at the airport.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was at the airport preparing for departure when the bombardment occurred. He confirmed that a member of his plane’s crew, employed by the UN Humanitarian Air Service, had been injured in the assault.
Tedros had traveled to Yemen to facilitate negotiations for the release of UN staff detained by the Houthi movement and to evaluate the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
Despite the attack, he remains in Yemen and continues his work, with plans to depart pending an assessment of the airport’s condition.
The WHO spokesperson noted that while Friday is a potential departure date for Tedros and his team, no definitive decision has been made. The situation remains under review as officials weigh safety concerns and the feasibility of resuming flights from the damaged airport.
