Lebanese ICRC Spokeswoman Injured in Yemen Blasts
Lebanese national Yara Khawaja, the official spokeswoman of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen, was lightly wounded Wednesday in the blasts that rocked Yemen’s Aden airport.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Khawaja was leaving for Cairo when the explosions happened.
“She is currently receiving treatment and her condition is stable,” NNA added.
The ICRC meanwhile said two of its workers were killed in the blast, including a Yemeni national who helped coordinate ICRC's air transport activities, and a Rwandan who was an X-ray technician. It said three others were wounded, including one seriously, and that one was unaccounted for.
"This is a tragic day for the ICRC and for the people of Yemen," said Dominik Stillhart, ICRC's director of operations.
"Our staff were transiting through the airport with other civilians. This is a tragic day for us and the people of #Yemen," the ICRC tweeted.
Prior to leaving the hotel for the airport, Khawaja had tweeted that she had carried out her last interview about the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
At least 26 people were killed as the explosions rocked the airport moments after a new unity government flew in, in what some officials charged was a an attack by Iran-backed Huthi rebels.
Although all government ministers were reported to be unharmed, more than 50 people were wounded, medical and government sources said, with the casualty toll feared likely to rise.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it was preparing a "mass casualty medical response plan."
As smoke billowed out of the airport terminal from an initial blast, with debris strewn across the area and people rushing to tend to the wounded, a second explosion took place.
Video footage shot by AFP appears to show missile-like ordnance striking the airport apron -- that moments before had been packed with crowds -- and exploding into a ball of intense flames.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the explosions.
Sporadic gunfire was heard soon after.
Source: Naharnet
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