The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been suffering from tinnitus since he and his team were confronted with an Israeli airstrike in Yemen.

“I am fine, but I have manifested tinnitus (buzzing in my ears) from the powerful explosion. I hope it is temporary,” the 59-year-old Tedros wrote in a post on X after returning to Geneva.

Israel’s air force bombed the airfield of Yemen’s capital Sanaa last Thursday, while the WHO director-general’s team was preparing to board its flight after talks in the city.

According to Tedros, one of the crew members was injured and the control tower, departure lounge, and landing runway suffered damage.

The WHO delegation was in Yemen to negotiate the release of UN personnel.

“We knew this mission would be dangerous,” Tedros wrote, adding that they were there for their colleagues at the UN, who have been held by Houthi rebels since 2021.

The “constructive” talks were interrupted, postponed, or cancelled several times due to drone flights, according to Tedros.