Written by Lisa Murimi
Afghanistan has been thrust into deeper isolation after the Taliban ordered a nationwide shutdown of internet and mobile data services, cutting citizens off from communication and crippling vital sectors such as banking, health, and aviation.
Diplomatic and humanitarian voices were swift to condemn the blackout.
The United Nations issued a rare rebuke, warning that the move risked “inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people” already reeling from overlapping crises, including a devastating earthquake in the east, drought in the north, and the mass return of refugees from neighboring countries.
“The cut in access has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world,” the UN said, stressing that restoring connections was critical to ensure aid workers could continue responding to emergencies.
For ordinary Afghans, the blackout has disrupted daily life and silenced lifelines.
Private news outlet Tolo reported that authorities had ordered the complete shutdown of 3G and 4G services, leaving only outdated 2G networks barely functional.
Kabul’s currency traders were forced to rely on yesterday’s exchange rates, while private banks warned of stalled operations.
Humanitarian groups have expressed alarm. Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Kabul, said even frontline aid workers were unreachable.
“It is another crisis on top of the existing crisis,” he said. “The impact is going to be on the lives of Afghan people.”
The Taliban offered no official explanation, but previous restrictions have been linked to morality concerns, with leaders in Kandahar citing fears over online pornography and dissent.
Analysts, however, see the blackout as part of a broader campaign to consolidate control through information suppression.
The shutdown also has an international dimension. With women already banned from universities, many jobs, and even aid work, the internet had become a rare tool for economic survival, allowing some to work from home.
“The Taliban are using every tool at their disposal to suppress the people,” women’s rights activist Sanam Kabiri said in a video message from abroad.
Diplomats warn the blackout could further damage Afghanistan’s already fragile international standing. In recent months, the Taliban has engaged cautiously with U.S. officials over detainees, but such moves risk being overshadowed by crackdowns on freedoms.
