UN Urges Taliban to Restore Internet as Afghanistan Remains Offline
The United Nations has strongly urged the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to swiftly restore internet and telecommunications services, following a total shutdown that began on Monday. The country remains offline as of Wednesday, with severe implications for various sectors.
The radical Islamic Taliban cut off all internet connections on Monday evening, plunging the nation into a digital blackout. This action, confirmed by NetBlocks and other organizations, has left Afghanistan completely offline, according to data from Cloudflare, Google, and various monitoring stations.
Banks in Afghanistan are partially open, but many people are attempting to withdraw money, raising concerns about potential shortages. The Taliban government is responsible for this ongoing internet deactivation, which has also affected the Afghan news portal Tolo News, with no new articles published since Monday. Such a blockade has far-reaching consequences, including disruptions to banking and finance, medical care, transportation, and access to international remittances.
All operations at Kabul airport have been halted, with no indication of resumption before Thursday at the earliest. International news agencies have reported losing contact with their offices in the country. Disruptions to fiber optic connections had already occurred prior to this total shutdown, causing significant inconveniences.
The United Nations warns that this total internet shutdown could have 'severe consequences' for the Afghan population, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The international community awaits the Taliban's response to the UN's urgent call for the immediate restoration of internet and telecommunications services.
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