Malawi opens drone testing corridor for humanitarian efforts
Malawi
has launched Africa's first air corridor to test the use of drones to
deliver aid and other services in the region, according to UNICEF
officials.
The air
corridor is a result of the partnership with the UN's children's agency
and officials say it opens up the possibility for "potential
humanitarian" drone use in the southeast African country.
We’re excited too!— UNICEF (@UNICEF) June 30, 2017
Children look on at the launch of Africa’s 1st humanitarian drone testing corridor in #Malawi to deliver life-saving aid pic.twitter.com/7WQNEtn6Rv
The corridor, launched Thursday, is on Kasungu Aerodrome in central Malawi.
The testing will focus on three areas, UNICEF officials said in a press release.
These
areas include "generating and analyzing aerial images" for developing
areas and assisting during humanitarian crises, "exploring the
possibility" of using drones to expand Wi-Fi or cell phone signals and
transporting medical supplies.
A first in Africa
The corridor is also one of the first globally "with a focus on humanitarian and development use," according to the UNICEF press release.
The drones will have a range of 24
miles, or 40 kilometers. Universities and several companies from around
the world will also be able to use the corridor.
In
the press release, Malawi's Minister of Transport and Public Works
Jappie Mhango said the government has already used drones to respond to
certain disasters, including floods.
"We
can see the potential for further uses, such as transportation of
medical supplies, which could transform lives in remote rural
communities," part of the press release read.
The
testing will run for at least a year. It follows a 2016 pilot program
in Malawi, where drones were used to transport dried blood samples to
test infants for HIV.
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