Afghanistan was plunged into an almost complete digital blackout on Monday as the Taliban severed internet and telecommunication services nationwide, prompting a United Nations warning of “significant harm” to its populace.
Reports indicate the disruption followed the disabling of Afghanistan’s 9,350-kilometer fiber optic network, which resulted in banks being frozen and millions of residents and enterprises losing connectivity.
Reuters reported that all commercial flights were either canceled or listed as “unknown,” rendering the nation’s primary aviation hub largely desolate.
The monitoring organization NetBlocks also verified that internet traffic had plummeted to approximately one percent of its usual levels, highlighting the extraordinary extent of the interruption.
Reuters indicated that the Taliban directed the nationwide cessation of internet and mobile data services, with diplomatic and industry contacts verifying a complete breakdown in cellular connectivity.
NetBlocks further confirmed that the connectivity shutdown began in stages on Monday, with the final phase also impacting telephone services that utilize shared internet infrastructure.
This countrywide outage seems to be part of a methodical campaign spearheaded by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada from Kabul. In September, he had previously ordered the disassembly of fiber optic networks across numerous provinces.
Officials have justified this action as a measure to control “immorality” online, consistent with previous declarations made by provincial governors.
Afghan telecom companies, cited by Reuters, stated they were “managing this sensitive and complex situation” under the Taliban’s instructions, with aspirations of promptly reinstating services.
Tolo News, a private broadcaster also referenced by Reuters, reported that authorities had imposed a one-week deadline to deactivate 3G and 4G internet services for mobile phones, retaining only 2G functionality.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), in a public statement, pressed the Taliban to reinstate access without delay, cautioning that the shutdown “has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world, and risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people.”
UN officials, as quoted by Reuters, also indicated that the outage has severely hampered humanitarian efforts.
Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s country representative, informed journalists that his organization could no longer contact essential aid workers, including those assisting victims of a fatal earthquake in the eastern region.
“This is an additional crisis compounding the already present crisis,” he stated during a satellite link transmission from Kabul.
The Taliban administration was unavailable for comment when contacted by this publication.