Blackout

The Taliban shut down Afghanistan’s internet on Monday, disrupting flights and cutting off nearly all digital and phone connections with the outside world.

Context

The Taliban government had been severing fiber-optic internet connections across several provinces for weeks. Earlier this month, a Taliban official wrote on X that the ban on fiber-optic internet was meant to curb “evils.” The shutdown represents the latest in a series of restrictions the Taliban has imposed since returning to power in 2021.

Internet Blackout

Afghanistan entered a total internet blackout on Monday when the Taliban disconnected networks throughout the morning.

The shutdown affected WiFi connections, mobile internet, and telephone services, leaving the country almost completely cut off from the outside world. The Taliban gave no official reason for the decision but said it would last until further notice.

Businesses Affected

Kabul’s main airport stood nearly deserted with no evidence of planes arriving or departing. Flight tracking services showed multiple canceled flights between Kabul and Dubai, the main regional airline hub. Banks across Kabul remained open but could process only limited cash withdrawals due to the disruption of electronic payment systems.

Many shops and businesses closed, with one shopkeeper telling Agence France-Presse reporters that “all our business relies on mobiles” and that “the market is totally frozen.”

Online Eduction 

The shutdown eliminated one of the last forms of education for Afghan women and girls, who had turned to online education after being banned from schools and universities. Critical banking and financial systems were paralyzed, limiting emergency service access and medical care. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan called on Taliban authorities to immediately restore internet access, warning that the cut “risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people” and could worsen “one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.”