Israeli airstrikes struck Yemen’s primary airport during the landing of a civilian Airbus 320, which was carrying hundreds of passengers, as well as while a United Nations delegation prepared to depart. This incident was reported recently by the U.N.’s highest humanitarian official in Yemen.
Julien Harneis, who addressed the press, noted that the most alarming aspect of the two strikes on Thursday was not the immediate danger faced by himself and around 15 others present in the airport’s VIP lounge, which included the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). Instead, he highlighted the devastating damage caused to the airport’s control tower while a Yemenia Airways flight was taxiing following its arrival.
“Thankfully, that flight managed to land safely, allowing passengers to exit, but the situation could have been significantly worse,” Harneis stated, as he was with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the time. He reported that one of the airstrikes occurred roughly 300 meters south of the VIP area, while another landed about the same distance to the north at around 4:45 PM, coinciding with the presence of several U.N. personnel outside the building.
“We were completely unaware of any impending airstrikes, and we cannot recall any recent air attacks in Sanaa during daylight hours,” Harneis remarked during a video news briefing from Sanaa. Following the airstrikes, the U.N. indicated that at least three individuals were killed and many others injured. Among the injured was a crew member from the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service, who sustained a severe leg injury due to shrapnel and lost a substantial amount of blood.
In the aftermath of the attacks, U.N. security personnel promptly relocated the delegation from the VIP area into five armored vehicles, where they remained for around 40 minutes while they assessed the situation and offered assistance to the injured crew member. The crew member was subsequently transferred to a local hospital and underwent extensive surgery lasting four hours, while the rest of the delegation spent the night at a U.N. facility. The U.N. aircraft, carrying Tedros and the rest of the team, including the injured crew member, successfully departed for Jordan on Friday afternoon, all while the airport operated without its control tower.
The injured crew member was later taken to a hospital in Jordan for further treatment, while Tedros was en route back to Geneva, home to the WHO. As for the geopolitical backdrop, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who have authority over Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, have targeted Israel in response to its actions in Gaza following Hamas assaults on October 7, 2023. The Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea, impacting a crucial global shipping route, and have escalated missile and drone strikes against Israel. Just hours later, the Israeli Air Force reported intercepting another missile launched from Yemen, prompting sirens in areas around Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.
Israel has intensified its military responses, yet the Israeli army claimed that it was unaware of the presence of the WHO chief or the U.N. team at the Sanaa airport during the strikes. Israel justified the attack, stating that the airport serves interests linked to the Houthis and Iran. However, Harneis emphasized that the airport is civilian and plays a critical role in facilitating the travel of humanitarian workers and operates one civilian flight—Yemenia Airways—between Yemen and Amman, Jordan. This route exists due to international agreements, and thousands of Yemenis rely on it for critical medical treatment abroad.
Yemen, considered the poorest country in the Arab world, continues to grapple with a decade-long civil conflict that pits Houthi forces against internationally recognized governmental factions in the south. Tedros was in Yemen to address the escalating humanitarian crisis and advocate for the release of approximately 50 individuals detained by the Houthis since June affiliated with U.N., non-governmental organizations, and civil society groups.
Harneis highlighted that around 18 million Yemenis—nearly half of the nation’s populace—require humanitarian aid this year, with estimates suggesting an increase to 19 million in the coming year due to deteriorating economic conditions. In addition to targeting the airport, Israel has also struck Yemen’s vital port of Hodeida on the western coast. Harneis stated that Hodeida is crucial for importing 80% of Yemen’s food and over 90% of medical supplies for the northern region. Following a recent attack by Israel that damaged two tugboats, the harbor’s operational capacity is believed to have decreased by 50%, while the collateral damage from Thursday’s airstrikes has yet to be evaluated.
Regarding the detainees, Harneis noted that he participated in discussions with the Houthi leaders, including the prime minister and foreign minister, which yielded assurances regarding the potential release of those being held and conditions surrounding their imprisonment.
