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Conditions are rapidly deteriorating in Afghanistan. The US military is leaving the country and the Taliban is gaining control of major areas. And there are lots of Americans and Afghans trapped in-between. Getting accurate crowdsourced info may be the key to staying alive in a country that is falling apart.

The website restofworld.org reports that Kabul-based tech startup Ehtesab is providing vital information about power outages, bombings, traffic jams, and checkpoints. The streamlined security-related information includes general security updates in Kabul. The compiled data feeds into the Ehtesab app. And sends out push notifications.

Crowdsourced info equals accountability

Their website says the company developed from a 2017, awareness project “intended to shed light and increase the accountability of parliament members in the Afghan parliament.” And it formally launched in March 2020. And it has 20 employees.

Ehtesab means “accountability” in the Afghan dialects of Dari and Pashto. And the app uses real-time crowdsourced info.

The firm claims that “At Ehtesab, we believe civic technology can connect citizens to their governments and influence the work of those who lead them.”

Security in real-time

The app enables vetted users to provide crowdsourced alerts so data can be tracked across Kabul. People report on bomb blasts, roadblocks, electric outages, or any issue in close proximity to them. In real-time, the app streamlines and sends alerts.

Founder Sara Wahedi and her staff are working remotely in order to keep the service up and running. And keep the company’s people safe.

Wahedi says that alerts are an important way to provide information in a time of chaos.  And Ehtesab avoids mentioning the word Taliban and provides information in a “discreet” way. They don’t wish to “construct a narrative” only to provide facts on-the-ground.

In recent days it is becoming harder to get information in and out of Kabul. But Wahedi said she felt a responsibility to Afghanistan’s younger generation, who “have grown up in war.” Silence, Wahedi says, “gives the Taliban an upper hand.” 

The company is playing a vital role in developing and disseminating information that could save lives amidst the chaos in Afghanistan.