Flights across Afghanistan have been grounded following a nationwide internet shutdown implemented by the Taliban government. The Taliban has not officially stated a reason for the internet outage, which began on Monday and is indefinite, prompting concerns from the United Nations about the potential harm to the country’s economic stability and humanitarian crisis.
The disruption has significantly affected communication within Afghanistan and globally, impacting crucial services like banking and payments, as well as online educational opportunities, which are vital for many women and girls.
Kabul International Airport is reportedly deserted, with no flights arriving or departing. Flight tracking services indicate that several flights scheduled for Tuesday were cancelled, while many others have an “unknown” status. Passengers have been informed that flights may not resume for several days.
Locals describe life in Kabul as outwardly normal, but communication channels are completely severed. One journalist shared that without internet and phone services, they are effectively “blind,” unable to contact interview subjects and relying on camera crews to reach people directly.
The Taliban government has been progressively cutting off fibre-optic internet connections in various provinces, with Kabul experiencing the shutdown from Monday evening. This has paralyzed essential services nationwide.
A shopkeeper in Kabul expressed the severe impact on business, stating, “All our business relies on mobiles. The deliveries are with mobiles. It’s like a holiday, everyone is at home. The market is totally frozen.”
Financial institutions are also heavily affected. While some banks in Kabul remain open, they are overwhelmed with customers and have limited cash payouts. In Helmand province, banks are closed, and money changers cannot process payments.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has urged the Taliban authorities to immediately restore internet and telecommunications access, emphasizing the risks to economic stability and the humanitarian crisis.
The internet cuts are part of a broader pattern of restrictions imposed by the Taliban since their return to power, which have disproportionately affected women and girls, including barring them from higher education and certain vocational courses.