Healthcare systems bore the brunt of the outage. Hospitals couldn’t request supplies, coordinate transfers, or transmit medical scans. Ambulance services collapsed, forcing healthcare workers to dispatch motorcycle messengers to nearby cities.
A nationwide telecommunications shutdown in Afghanistan from September 29 to October 1, 2025, left millions isolated, emergency services crippled, and essential sectors in chaos, according to a damning new report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Titled “Out of Reach: The Impact of Telecommunications Shutdowns on the Afghan People,” the document paints a harrowing picture of a country already reeling from instability, where the abrupt loss of mobile and internet services turned everyday life into a nightmare of “no signal, no help, no hope.”
The blackout, affecting all 34 provinces, followed weeks of regional disruptions starting in Balkh province on September 15. UNAMA’s findings, drawn from over 100 interviews across the nation, highlight cascading failures in healthcare, banking, humanitarian aid, education, and media. No official explanation has been forthcoming from Taliban authorities, who initially cited vague aims like “preventing vice” in Balkh, while later denying infrastructure repairs as the cause.
Healthcare Systems Bore the Brunt
At the heart of the crisis were personal tragedies that underscored Afghanistan’s fragile reliance on digital connectivity. In eastern Afghanistan, a woman in labour on the night of September 29 had no way to contact her husband, who was away at work. Accompanied only by her elderly mother-in-law, she walked to a hospital in Jalalabad. She gave birth alone, terrified and surrounded by strangers, while her husband frantically searched hospitals, unaware of her whereabouts or condition.
Healthcare systems bore the brunt of the outage. Hospitals couldn’t request supplies, coordinate transfers, or transmit medical scans. In Laghman province, a pregnant woman lost her unborn child after her clinic failed to summon an ambulance or restock medicines. In Badghis, five malnourished children died because doctors couldn’t be reached for urgent care. Ambulance services collapsed, forcing healthcare workers to dispatch motorcycle messengers to nearby cities – a desperate, time-consuming workaround that left them feeling “helpless.”
“Patients faced delays in diagnosis and treatment,” the report states, noting that electronic coordination between facilities ground to a halt. This was particularly acute in a nation where Taliban restrictions already limit women’s mobility and access to services.
Banking Services Hit
The banking sector fared no better. ATMs ceased functioning, online transfers froze, and remittances from abroad – a lifeline for many families – were inaccessible. Afghans couldn’t pay for food, medicine, or essentials, while small businesses reliant on digital sales suffered crippling losses. “The entire country – from its health systems to its banking sector and small businesses – is substantially reliant on telecommunications,” UNAMA emphasised.
Humanitarian Operations Paralyzed
Humanitarian operations were paralyzed, exacerbating ongoing crises. Aid for earthquake victims in the east was disrupted, and assistance to thousands of refugees deported from Pakistan stalled. Cash distributions, beneficiary registrations, and field team coordination stopped entirely, leaving vulnerable populations in limbo.
Return to the Stone Age
Women and girls, already under severe Taliban-imposed restrictions, were disproportionately impacted. Female healthcare workers reported families growing more reluctant to allow them outside the home without communication lines. One nurse told UNAMA that her inability to contact relatives during the blackout led her husband to demand she quit her job over safety fears. Online education, a rare avenue for female students amid bans on in-person schooling, vanished. “It was a return to the stone age,” one student said, describing the loss of their only educational access.
Women running online businesses – often a critical income source since employment bans – saw revenues evaporate. Internet-based commerce, a workaround for gender barriers, came to a standstill.
Rumours Spread Unchecked
The shutdown also triggered a media and information vacuum. Most outlets couldn’t broadcast or report, fuelling panic and misinformation. Rumours of foreign interventions, coups, or government collapse spread unchecked. One journalist described it as “a form of censorship,” blocking coverage of abuses or emergencies.
UNAMA documented widespread societal ripple effects. Education halted as online classes and administrative systems failed. Small entrepreneurs lost customers, and families couldn’t locate loved ones. In a country battling economic collapse, malnutrition, and natural disasters, the blackout amplified existing vulnerabilities.
Taliban spokespeople offered conflicting justifications. In Balkh, officials claimed the initial shutdown targeted “vice,” but Kabul later dismissed repair claims. No comprehensive rationale has emerged, leaving speculation about security concerns or control measures.
UNAMA has urged the Taliban to recognize telecommunications as essential for human rights, humanitarian relief, healthcare, education, and the economy. “Afghans, already facing significant challenges, should not be subjected to imposed cuts,” the mission stated, calling for uninterrupted access.
The report comes amid broader concerns over Taliban governance since their 2021 takeover. Regional shutdowns preceded the national one, signalling a pattern that could recur. Experts warn such actions violate international norms on access to information and emergency services.
As Afghanistan grapples with this silent crisis, the UNAMA findings serve as a stark reminder: in a digital age, cutting connections can be as devastating as physical barriers. For the woman in Jalalabad and countless others, the blackout wasn’t just inconvenient – it was life-altering.
