Dear residents of Tenerife,

Warm greetings from Geneva. It is Tedros once again.

Our mission in Tenerife has now concluded. And it concluded with dignity.

Last Monday, I stood at the port of Granadilla de Abona and observed the final passengers from the MV Hondius step into the vehicles that would take them onward toward home. I saw health professionals in protective equipment working with steady focus. I saw Spanish authorities coordinating each movement with care and discipline. Above all, I felt the strength of your solidarity and support.

As I stood there, I reflected on the message I had written to you only days earlier, and on how every commitment made by the Spanish Government and the World Health Organization was fulfilled exactly as planned.

More than 120 individuals from 23 different nations have now safely disembarked. They are being monitored and supported by public health teams either during transit or upon arrival in their respective countries. They arrived anxious and uncertain. They departed carrying something unexpected: the reassurance that strangers in Tenerife, and partners around the world, chose compassion over hesitation. The risk assessments proved sound. The procedures functioned as designed. The humanitarian corridor remained secure. Science and solidarity worked together, just as they should when trust guides action.

Yet I hope this episode will not be remembered solely as an operational achievement. What took place in Tenerife went beyond efficiency. It reflected moral conviction—the resolve of an island and a nation to affirm that every life matters, and that no one in distress should be turned away.

The government of Prime Minister Sánchez upheld its international responsibilities and did so with humanity and resolve. Ministers Mónica García, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and Ángel Víctor Torres demonstrated leadership marked by commitment and coordination. The authorities at the port of Granadilla carried out a demanding operation seamlessly. The medical teams who boarded the ship, who stood watch at the port, who accompanied passengers in transit, fulfilled their duties not because it was simple, but because it was necessary and just.

To Captain Jan Dobrogowski and the 26 crew members who remain aboard the MV Hondius as it sails toward the Netherlands: you sustained your passengers through weeks defined by uncertainty and sorrow. That steadfastness deserves recognition.

To the people of Tenerife, who welcomed this operation not with spectacle but with calm understanding: know that your response resonated far beyond your shores. You may never cross paths with those who passed through your port, yet those 150 passengers and crew members—and their families—will remember that an island community in the Atlantic chose to say “yes.” That community was yours.

We live in a period when fear can easily close borders and harden hearts. Tenerife chose another path. You have added a chapter to the global record of how societies can respond to crisis—with humanity, discipline, and unity. The WHO will carry forward that example.

Three lives were lost in connection with the outbreak aboard the Hondius. Their families continue to grieve. The successful completion of this operation does not diminish that loss, nor should it. Every public health action is ultimately about people—about lives altered and families forever changed.

We also mourn the passing of a member of Tenerife’s Guardia Civil, who suffered a heart attack while serving during this mission. He was present out of dedication to duty and community. I extend my deepest sympathies to his loved ones, his colleagues, and the entire Guardia Civil. His service stands as a testament to commitment in difficult times.

Solidarity remains the strongest protection we possess. Tenerife has demonstrated this not as rhetoric, but as practice—in the way you worked and in the way you stood together.

Allow me a personal reflection. Before the final group of passengers departed last Monday, I walked quietly through part of your city. Life was unfolding as usual. I found Tenerife beautiful—not only in landscape, but in spirit. The warmth shown to me, even in brief encounters with those who recognized me, left a lasting impression.

I wish my visit had occurred under different circumstances—perhaps for a WHO gathering, or better yet, for rest with my family. That is a hope I intend to fulfill. I look forward to returning one day as a guest rather than in response to an emergency, to experience Tenerife at its own pace, with my loved ones beside me.

On behalf of the World Health Organization, on behalf of the passengers now reunited with their families, and on behalf of those across the world who watched this island with hope: thank you. Sincerely and deeply, thank you.

I also wish to acknowledge my colleagues from WHO headquarters and from our Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, who stood alongside me in Tenerife, as well as those who supported us tirelessly from afar. This effort was truly collective.

For us, however, the responsibility continues until every passenger and crew member has completed quarantine and returned fully to their families.

With deep respect, appreciation, and gratitude,

Tedros

Editor’s note

This statement has been updated to clarify that the three individuals confirmed to have died in connection with the hantavirus outbreak did not all pass away aboard the ship. Two deaths occurred onboard, while the third took place after arrival in South Africa.