Since UAVs are commanded by a remote control or by other technology (like a smartphone application), they require limited manpower so the time and energy can be used for resource mobilisation in case of a disaster. When drones reach the hospital they will go down to a low altitude and drop their package with the help of a paper parachute without landing. Since their batteries require recharge they need to go back to the home base where their maintenance will be processed. After they will be sent to a new mission.
Natural disasters are special in the sense that an instant information need arises. Without the correct information the safety and security of the affected community is seriously threatened. Timely supply of the needed resources can save life. UAVs can provide accurate information about the affected regions and population by the cameras installed on them. Geographic mapping could be facilitated by the use of these pilotless flying aircrafts installed with cameras. This facilitates geographic mapping and the work efficiency of the humanitarian professionals can be multiplied by the delivery of the generated maps to the relevant organizations. As a matter of fact, the number and intensity of natural disasters in Africa are continuously growing, increasing the vulnerability of people and making the lifesaving procedures more difficult. For this reason, it is perhaps not a coincidence that some African countries have the biggest functioning humanitarian drone fleet in the world.
On the African continent Malawi provides one of the best examples for innovative humanitarian drone usage. Malawi is a pioneer in Africa and one of the first countries in the world – in partnership with UNICEF and a Silicon Valley start-up - who established an air corridor for UAVs with potential humanitarian and development purpose. The need for these types of drones was born because Malawi had recently faced several serious natural disasters. They were not able to fight against these disasters with the traditional methods, so they invested in innovation. In Malawi the drones are specialised on emergency medical supply delivery which can be anything from vaccines and samples for laboratory diagnosis, including for HIV testing. However, sometimes they are sent for reconnaissance missions during drought, floods, and earthquakes. Some parts of the country are hard to access by trucks or motorcycles – in addition it would risk the life of the humanitarian worker trying to reach the disaster affected area. Drones are also a link to connect remote rural communities to more developed resourceful regions.
Another African country, Rwanda is also a leader in non-military drone usage. It was the first country in the world that lunched drone delivery network. This may be surprising considering the economic and financial situation of Rwanda, since they are not among the most powerful nations of the world. However, more than two decades after the genocide, today it boasts one of the fastest growing economies in Central Africa. The government led by president Paul Kagame embraced development and with the cooperation of an American start-up company the commercial investment in the drone delivery network came into existence. The president is investing in new industries, as well as in human human capital and aims to build a knowledge-based, service oriented economy. The strict aerial rules and conflicting regulations did not keep the country from the establishment of the air corridor. Drones have already started the operation with medical supplies and they keep widening their scope for economic development. The establishment of this system was not a time-consuming process according to the relevant bodies. It is particularly interesting if we take into account the situation in the United States where big companies such as Google and Amazon are still just promising the introduction of drone package delivery.
