Total Internet Blackout Grips Afghanistan, Deepening Humanitarian and Economic Crises

KABUL – Afghanistan is grappling with its first nationwide internet blackout since the Taliban returned to power, a drastic move the hardline government says is aimed at preventing “immoral activities.” The shutdown, which has severed the country of 43 million people from the global digital ecosystem, is amplifying existing humanitarian disasters and crippling an economy already on its knees.

The blackout was implemented in phases on Monday, culminating in the near-total disruption of both internet and telephone services. Global internet watchdog Netblocks confirmed the collapse of connectivity across multiple networks, stating the incident “is likely to severely limit the public’s ability to contact the outside world.”

This extreme measure follows a series of regional blackouts imposed earlier this month in provinces including Balkh, Badakhshan, Kandahar, and Nangarhar, where officials cited morality concerns, often alluding to online pornography. The Taliban’s telecommunications ministry has now set a one-week deadline for mobile operators to shut down all 3G and 4G services, relegating the population to a largely unusable 2G network.

A Deepening Chokehold on Communication and Information

The immediate effect has been a communications vacuum. International news agencies, including The Associated Press and AFP, reported being unable to contact their bureaus in Kabul. Al Jazeera’s attempts to reach contacts in various cities via WhatsApp and phone were unsuccessful.

For ordinary Afghans, the impact is profound. “The Taliban are using every tool at their disposal to suppress the people,” said Sanam Kabiri, an Afghan women’s rights activist based in Pakistan. “What else do these ignorant men of another century want from our oppressed people?”

• Diaspora Cut Off: Afghans abroad, like rights activist Nilofar Ayoubi, report being plunged into anxiety, unable to check on the safety and well-being of family members back home.

• Media Muzzled: Local media, a critical source of information, is being strangled. TOLOnews, a major Afghan broadcaster, warned viewers of significant disruptions to its news services, noting that its own internal operations are crippled by the shutdown.

Cascading Crises: From Economy to Healthcare

The blackout’s consequences extend far beyond communication, threatening to trigger a cascade of failures across essential sectors.

• Economic Devastation: The fragile Afghan economy, heavily reliant on digital platforms for survival, is facing a body blow. Aseel, an e-commerce platform that enabled Afghan artisans—mostly women—to sell handmade goods globally and set their own prices, has been effectively shut down. The platform also served as a vital conduit for international humanitarian donations.

  • Unemployment Spike: “This will push thousands of freelancers, online sellers, and content creators into immediate unemployment,” said an economic analyst who wished to remain anonymous. “The digital economy was one of the last remaining lifelines for many educated Afghans.”

• Financial and Healthcare Systems Frozen: Diplomatic officials have warned the BBC that the shutdown threatens the country’s banking systems, business operations, and hospital services. The inability to process digital payments or access online patient records could bring these critical services to a halt.

• Aviation Disrupted: The blackout has tangible physical consequences. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that nine flights scheduled to depart from or arrive at Kabul International Airport on Tuesday were cancelled, indicating severe disruptions to air traffic control and coordination.

Hampering Earthquake Recovery and Silencing Women Further

The timing of the blackout could not be more dire. It severely risks hampering ongoing rescue and recovery efforts following a devastating magnitude-6.0 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on August 31, which killed over 2,200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Aid coordination, which relies on real-time data sharing and communication between dispersed response teams, has been made “next to impossible,” according to humanitarian workers. This crisis is compounded by the Taliban’s existing ban on women working for NGOs, which has already limited the effectiveness of aid delivery in a country highly dependent on foreign support.

Furthermore, the blackout extinguishes a crucial educational lifeline for women and girls. Since the Taliban banned girls from high school and university, many have turned to online classes provided by educators abroad or charitable organizations. This latest clampdown systematically eliminates one of their last remaining avenues for learning.

The Taliban’s Stance: A Deepening Hardline Posture

While the Taliban claims its actions are in line with its interpretation of Islamic law, the nationwide blackout marks a significant escalation in its control over society. An official told AFP that “eight to nine thousand telecommunications pillars” would be shut down “until further notice.”

The leadership, based in Kandahar, has grown increasingly hardline. Recent months have seen the ban on Afghan women from UN workplaces, the systematic exclusion of women from public life, and the eradication of girls’ education. The internet blackout appears to be the latest and most comprehensive tool in this campaign, isolating the Afghan population from each other and the world, with the most vulnerable bearing the heaviest cost. As the digital silence deepens, so too does the nation’s crisis.

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