Humanitarian drone testing corridor launched in Malawi

The Government of Malawi and UNICEF have launched an air corridor to test the potential humanitarian use of drones. In an official statement issued by UNICEF yesterday (28 June), Malawi’s Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jappie Mhango, said: “Malawi has over the years proved to be a leader in innovation and it is this openness to innovation that has led to the establishment of Africa’s first drones testing corridor here in Malawi.

“We have already used drones as part of our flood response and we can see the potential for further uses, such as transportation of medical supplies, which could transform lives in remote rural communities.”

The drone corridor, which UNICEF described as “the first in Africa and one of the first globally with a focus on humanitarian and development use”, is centred on Kasungu Aerodrome, in central Malawi, with a 40km radius.

The testing corridor will focus on three main areas:

1. Imagery – generating and analyzing aerial images for development and during humanitarian crises, including for situation monitoring in floods and earthquakes;

2. Connectivity – exploring the possibility for UAVs to extend Wi-Fi or cellphone signals across difficult terrain, particularly in emergencies;

3. Transport – delivery of small low weight supplies such as emergency medical supplies, vaccines and samples for laboratory diagnosis, including for HIV testing.

The corridor will run for at least one year, until June 2018.