Taliban orders nationwide internet blackout in Afghanistan
The Taliban has ordered a nationwide internet shutdown in Afghanistan, a blackout that began on Sept. 16 and spread countrywide by Sept. 29, 2025. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to restore service, warning the outage has crippled banking and financial systems, disrupted remittances, limited medical and aviation services, isolated women and girls, and undermined disaster response after recent earthquakes and mass forced returns.
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🔍 Key Facts
- The Taliban imposed restrictions on internet and telecommunications access beginning Sept. 16, 2025; the blackout spread and became nationwide on Sept. 29, 2025.
- The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) publicly appealed on Sept. 30, 2025 for the Taliban to restore internet and telecommunications access nationwide.
- UNAMA said the blackout has crippled banking and financial systems and disrupted remittances.
- The blackout has limited medical access and aviation services.
- UNAMA warned the shutdown is isolating women and girls and undermining disaster response following recent earthquakes and mass forced returns.
📰 Sources (2)
The UN mission appeals to the Taliban to restore internet access in Afghanistan
New information:
- U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) publicly urged the Taliban to restore internet and telecommunications access nationwide.
- The blackout was first imposed beginning Sept. 16, 2025 and spread to become nationwide on Sept. 29, 2025.
- The UN spelled out concrete operational impacts: crippling banking and financial systems, disrupting remittances, limiting medical access and aviation, isolating women and girls, and undermining disaster response after recent earthquakes and mass forced returns.