Afghanistan is experiencing a near-total communications blackout for a second day after Taliban authorities cut fibre-optic networks across the country. The shutdown, ordered by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to 'prevent immorality', has reduced internet connectivity to less than 1% of normal levels, according to internet watchdog NetBlocks.
Mobile phone signals and internet services began weakening nationwide on Monday night, with the blackout continuing into Tuesday. A government official warned before the shutdown that 8,000 to 9,000 telecommunications pillars would be cut 'until further notice', affecting banking, customs, and all sectors.
Shopkeeper Najibullah in Kabul said: 'We are blind without phones and internet. All our business relies on mobiles. The market is totally frozen.' The UN mission Unama warned the disconnection risks inflicting significant harm, threatening economic stability and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Human Rights Watch researcher Fereshta Abbasi stated the Taliban should 'drop its excuses about morality' and focus on the irreversible harm caused. The Taliban have previously restricted social media and internet access, but this is the first nationwide communications cut since they retook control in 2021.
The blackout follows earlier restrictions in several provinces from mid-September, with Balkh provincial spokesperson Attaullah Zaid saying the measure was to 'prevent vice'. The Taliban have also enforced strict bans on women's education and employment, and even chess.
