Kabul, Oct 28: A new report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has revealed that the recent two-day telecommunications shutdown in Afghanistan worsened the country’s humanitarian crisis, further restricting the rights of women and girls and disrupting critical services, including healthcare and aid delivery.
The report, titled “Out of Reach: The Impact of Telecommunications Shutdowns on the Afghan People,” was published jointly by UNAMA and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday. It is based on 111 interviews conducted across 32 provinces following the 48-hour nationwide shutdown imposed by the Taliban between September 29 and October 1.
According to the report, the blackout severely affected all sectors — from healthcare and humanitarian operations to banking and small businesses — as Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on communication networks for access to essential services.
The OHCHR noted that the shutdown resulted in life-threatening delays in medical care, disrupted humanitarian relief operations, and intensified existing restrictions on women and girls. Many women reported being unable to contact their male guardians during emergencies, leaving them isolated and unable to travel even for urgent needs, given Afghanistan’s strict travel rules requiring women to be accompanied by a male guardian.
Female students, who rely on online education due to the Taliban’s ban on schooling beyond Grade 6, said the blackout left them “terrified” and fearing a return to the “stone-age era.”
Health workers reported preventable deaths, while aid agencies struggled to deliver assistance to earthquake victims in Nangarhar, Laghman, and Kunar provinces, as well as Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan.
The OHCHR stressed that such shutdowns violate rights to freedom of expression and access to information, urging the Taliban to ensure that any restrictions are lawful, necessary, and proportionate under international human rights law.
