WFP Uses Unmanned Aircraft to Deliver Life-Saving Nutrition in Madagascar

WFP is working with communities to build awareness and understanding of this delivery system, ensuring they can safely access the relief items.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has, for the first time in three months, delivered life-saving nutrition supplies for malnourished children in the remote region of Farafangana, south-eastern Madagascar. The consignment of Plumpy’Sup – a life-saving supplement for children suffering from malnutrition – was delivered via an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), marking a milestone in the use of UAS technology to reach remote and isolated communities.

Madagascar, Farafangana, Farafangana airport, Atsimo-Atsinanana region, 11 February 2025 In the photo: WFP launched First-Ever UAS Operation for Humanitarian Assistance Delivery and delivered specialized nutritious food to vulnerable communities near Farafangana, southeastern Madagascar, where traditional access is difficult. WFP launched First-Ever UAS Operation for Humanitarian Assistance Delivery in Madagascar. The initiative is designed to improve access to hard-to-reach areas, increase efficiency while enhancing operational flexibility in humanitarian assistance delivery. The maiden flight, which took place on 12 February in southeastern Madagascar, delivered specialized nutritious food to vulnerable communities near Farafangana, where traditional access is difficult. WFP developed this system in collaboration with private sector partners and donors, leveraging latest technology to overcome access challenges caused by insecurity, terrain and weather events. The drones, capable of carrying up to 160kg of relief items per rotation over hundreds of kilometres, offer a cost effective and highly adaptable solution for reaching communities in need.

“In regions like southern Madagascar, where humanitarian needs are pressing, droughts are relentless, and cyclones destroy roads and bridges, such innovations are vital,” said Franklyn Frimpong, WFP’s Chief of Aviation. “This milestone shows how innovation can help us reach those in need faster and more efficiently in challenging operational contexts.”

Communities in Farafangana often wait for weeks or even months for assistance, with food supplies sometimes dropped in distant locations. Communities then embark on a gruelling half-day trek, wading through unpredictable rivers and climbing steep and slippery paths to bring food home.

With UAS, WFP can now deliver up to 160 kilogrammes of relief items per drop, with several deliveries planned to remote, landlocked villages in southern Madagascar over the next three months. WFP is working with communities to build awareness and understanding of this delivery system, ensuring they can safely access the relief items.

“Technology must be an integral part of our supply chain toolkit,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation. “This groundbreaking aerial operation is revolutionising the way we deliver aid, elevating response efforts not only for WFP but for the entire humanitarian community. We are witnessing significant interest from partners and are eager to expand this initiative globally.”

The innovative approach exemplifies WFP’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian aid delivery, ensuring assistance reaches all those who need it, especially those in insecure and hard-to-reach locations. It is a result of WFP’s collaboration with private sector partners and donors.