There are currently many indications that the pandemic is gradually spreading to the African continent - as of August 17, the 54 African countries recorded 1,128,061 confirmed infections across the continent. In order to support African countries in the fight against Covid-19, the UN set up a central logistics center for the transport of relief supplies back in spring. The air freight terminal recently built by Unitechnik Systems GmbH in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa was chosen. At 38,000 m², the state-of-the-art automated warehouse is the size of five soccer pitches and is divided into a refrigerated and a dry area. The facility can handle 600,000 tons of air freight per year.

Refrigerated area protects medicines
In the month of March alone, Ethiopia transported a total of over 45,848 tons of cargo to different parts of the world with its cargo planes and passenger fleet. The shipments include pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and healthcare products that were handled by 86 charter flights in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. EAL's freighter fleet consists of 12 modern cargo aircraft, mainly of the Boeing 777F type - each with a capacity of 103 tons. Africa's largest airline has even converted some of its 110 passenger aircraft at short notice to enable more aid deliveries.

Transport and storage at constant temperatures is an important requirement, especially for medicines. With its large refrigerated area, EAL has created sufficient capacity in Addis Ababa for the handling of temperature-sensitive goods. Normally, the airline primarily exports cut flowers and meat from here. The future-proof facility is designed in accordance with international standards and ensures an uninterrupted cold chain for perishable goods, so that medical equipment can also be stored and handled in accordance with European standards.

UniWare handles warehouse processes for relief supplies
A WFP team of 25 aviation and logistics staff are on standby in Addis Ababa to manage 24-hour operations. It manages warehouses for relief supplies, including temperature-controlled cargo, and manages their handling. The warehouse management system (WMS) integrated into the automated warehouse forms the basis for the professional tracking of relief supplies. The control system, which is based on the UniWare software platform, the warehouse management system developed by Unitechnik, manages all storage bin assignments and coordinates automatic and manual movements. This allows the helpers to keep track of incoming and outgoing relief supplies and medicines at all times.