On Tuesday, September 30th, the United Nations said it was seeking a waiver from the Taliban’s shutdown of internet and mobile phone services in Afghanistan, saying the blackout was hurting a country already suffering from multiple crises.
Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, said the shutdown—which started on Monday—was affecting day–to–day business and the provision of critical aid:
This is another crisis on top of the existing crises and the impact is going to be on the lives of Afghan people.
Ratwatte claimed that the UN had been left in a “very dire situation” for communications, with their landlines also out. The United Nations is now in discussions with the government to obtain a waiver for critical connectivity and has been trying to reach the relevant authorities, who themselves are struggling to communicate internally.
In response, the UN has moved into “essential business continuity” mode, relying on radios and scaling back activities while coordinating with satellite providers to secure additional bandwidth (in the aftermath of a major earthquake). Although officials have not received an official explanation for the blackout, informal sources suggest it may be temporary.
Logistical issues aside, the Taliban views internet restrictions as a way of suppressing ‘vice’—in support of its Islamist worldview.
