It has been difficult for Afghan citizens to obtain accurate information on what is happening at any given moment, as conditions continue to deteriorate in Afghanistan and the Taliban take control of major cities. Rest of World tells about Ehtesab, a Kabul-based startup that uses crowdsourced reports from verified users to track everything, from traffic jams to bombings to electricity outages, to send out push notifications.
Ehtesab is Dari and Pashto for accountability. The app was officially launched in March 2020 and provides streamlined security-related information to its users, including updates on security in Kabul. Users can monitor the status of nearby locations for bomb blasts and roadblocks as well as other issues. According to Sara Wahedi, the app generates push notifications regarding nearby security risks and is supported by 20 employees based at the Kabul office.
Wahedi and her team are currently working remotely to ensure their safety. Rest of World is told that even though they were shocked by the speed with which the Afghan government collapsed, Ehtesab does not mention the Taliban in its security alerts. Instead, it provides information discreetly.
A roadblock might indicate danger but we cannot directly state that danger exists. If we are accused in constructing a narrative against government, we can claim that we only provided information about a roadblock, as it restricts people's movement. This is the strategy that we are using.
In recent days it has been more difficult to obtain information from Kabul. However, Wahedi stated that she feels a responsibility for Afghanistan's younger generation who were raised in war.
This story explains what it is like to collect and disseminate crucial information amid chaos in Afghanistan.
