The United Nations coordinator for humanitarian aid in Yemen, Julien Harneis, present at the airport in the capital Sanaa bombed Thursday by Israel, denounced Friday strikes against “a civilian location used by the United Nations” and “absolutely vital” for humanitarian delivery in the country.
“It is used by the International Committee of the Red Cross, it is used for civilian flights. This is its function”Mr. Harneis told the press, by video from Yemen. “If this airport no longer works, it will paralyze humanitarian operations”he warned, as the war that broke out in Yemen in 2014 left hundreds of thousands dead and caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
“Parties to the conflict have an obligation to ensure that they do not strike civilian targets”he continued. “The onus is on them, not us. We don't have to prove that we are civilians.”he insisted.
Julien Harneis said he was in the airport at the time of the Israeli strikes, alongside the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and eighteen other members of the UN. “There was an airstrike about 300 meters south of our position, and another about 300 meters to the north”explained the UN official. A UN member was injured. The rest of the UN team was able to find shelter in armored vehicles.
“The most terrifying thing (…) is that these strikes took place (…) while a Yemenia Airways airliner, carrying hundreds of Yemenis, was preparing to land”he said. This plane “was landing, taxiing when air traffic control was destroyed”he clarified. “It could have been much worse”he added.
On Thursday, Israel announced that it had struck “military targets” Houthi rebels, including Sanaa airport, with the army claiming to have responded to “repeated attacks” of these insurgents who have been launching numerous attacks against Israel for months, “in solidarity” with the Palestinians.
