Africa: Thumbs to the Rescue - Digital Volunteers Put Vulnerable People On the Map

Imagine you can help relieve disasters as they happen - by using your smartphone. NGOs have used crowdsourced information to locate vulnerable people for years. But can a mapping app really save lives in times of crisis?

On her smartphone display, Lena Siedentopp is looking at a small stretch of land in rural Nigeria. Seeing a cluster of huts, she taps once - the screen turns green. In the event of a humanitarian crisis, the information she submitted could help an NGO provide quicker aid to people in need.

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