The Taliban internet blackout has plunged Afghanistan into near-total digital silence, cutting off millions from the outside world and crippling essential services. On Monday, the regime ordered telecom companies to shut down all internet and mobile data, citing “immorality” concerns.
According to Reuters, Afghanistan’s 9,350-kilometer fiber optic network was dismantled in phases, leaving banks frozen, flights canceled, and Kabul International Airport virtually deserted. NetBlocks confirmed that online traffic collapsed to just one percent of normal levels, a stark reminder of how tightly authoritarian regimes can control everyday life.
UN officials blasted the Taliban’s move, warning it is deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis. “It has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people,” the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.
The blackout has not only severed communications for ordinary citizens but also crippled humanitarian relief. Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s country representative, described the situation bluntly: “It is another crisis on top of the existing crisis.”
