A UN delegation, including WHO's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at Sanaa airport when it was attacked on Thursday.
At the same time, a civilian plane, an Airbus 320 from Yemenia Airways, was taxiing in after landing.
Luckily, the plane was able to land safely and the passengers were able to disembark, but it could have gone much, much worse, says Julien Harneis at a live press conference from Sanaa.
Several dead and injured
The airport's control tower was destroyed in the attack. According to Harneis, an air raid was carried out about 300 meters south of the VIP lounge where the UN delegation was located, and another about 300 meters north of it.
We clearly had no indication that any potential air raids would occur, but furthermore, we cannot remember the last time there was an air raid in Sanaa during daylight, says Harneis.
According to the UN, at least three people were killed in the attacks and dozens were injured. Among the injured was a crew member of the UN plane, who suffered a serious shrapnel injury to a leg and lost a lot of blood.
The UN delegation, including the injured crew member, was able to fly to Jordan on Friday afternoon – despite the fact that there was no functioning control tower at the airport.
Drone shot down
The Israeli military said it was not aware that the UN delegation was at the airport, which according to Israel was bombed because it is used by the Islamist Huthi movement.
At his press conference, however, Julien Harneis emphasized that the airport in question is civilian, not military. It is used to transport humanitarian aid workers and for a civilian airline: Yemenia Airways between Sanaa and Amman in Jordan. According to Harneis, the airline came about as a result of an international agreement and is used by thousands of Yemenis to receive medical treatment abroad.
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels have attacked Israel several times, according to themselves in response to Israel's warfare in Gaza. Early on Saturday morning, the Israeli air force reported that another drone from Yemen had been shot down, after sirens sounded near Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.
