On the night of September 29, a woman in eastern Afghanistan went into labor. Her husband was at work. With no phone service, no internet, and no way to reach him, she walked to the hospital with her elderly mother-in-law. Hours later, she gave birth—alone, scared, and surrounded by strangers. Her husband searched every hospital in Jalalabad, unaware of where his wife was or if she was alive.
This was just one of the countless human stories that unfolded during a 48-hour nationwide telecommunications blackout, detailed in a new UNAMA report. From missed medical emergencies and lost loved ones to halted humanitarian aid, banking, and education, the shutdown plunged millions into a silent crisis—one that struck at the heart of modern life in a country already battling deep instability.
The report, titled “Out of Reach: The Impact of Telecommunications Shutdowns on the Afghan People,” details the effects of a nationwide suspension of internet and mobile phone services that began on the evening of Sept. 29 and lasted until Oct. 1, 2025. The outage followed several weeks of regional shutdowns, first implemented in Balkh province on Sept. 15 and later expanded to much of the country.
UNAMA said the blackout, which affected all 34 provinces, left millions of Afghans without access to emergency services, communication with family members, and essential online services such as digital banking and health coordination. The report is based on more than 100 interviews conducted across Afghanistan.
According to the report, the shutdown had severe consequences across nearly every part of society. Hospitals were unable to request medical supplies or coordinate emergency transfers. In one case in Laghman province, a pregnant woman lost her baby after her local clinic could not call for an ambulance or restock basic medicines. In Badghis, five children suffering from malnutrition died because doctors could not be reached for emergency care.
Healthcare workers described feeling “helpless” as they resorted to sending messengers by motorcycle to nearby cities to deliver urgent requests. Ambulance services and hospital coordination systems collapsed, while patients faced delays in diagnosis because medical scans could not be transmitted electronically.
The blackout also cut off the country’s fragile banking system. ATMs and online transfers stopped functioning, preventing people from accessing funds or receiving remittances from relatives abroad. Many Afghans were unable to pay for healthcare or food, while small businesses dependent on internet sales suffered major financial losses.
Humanitarian operations were similarly paralyzed. Aid workers reported that the outage disrupted relief efforts for earthquake victims in eastern Afghanistan and delayed assistance to thousands of refugees recently deported from Pakistan. Cash distribution, registration, and coordination between field teams all ground to a halt.
UNAMA said the shutdown disproportionately affected women and girls, who already face extensive restrictions under Taliban rule. Female healthcare workers and entrepreneurs told UNAMA that the blackout made their families more hesitant to let them work outside the home.
One nurse said that when she was unable to contact her family, her husband insisted she quit her job out of fear for her safety. Female students attending online classes described the shutdown as “a return to the stone age,” saying it cut off their only remaining access to education.
Women who run online businesses reported losing their income entirely during the blackout, as internet-based commerce — a lifeline for many since the Taliban’s employment bans — came to a standstill.
Media and information blackout
The communications cut also silenced most media outlets, which were unable to broadcast or file stories. UNAMA documented cases of widespread panic and misinformation, with rumors circulating about foreign intervention, coups, and government collapse.
One journalist told UNAMA the blackout amounted to “a form of censorship,” preventing the press from covering potential abuses or emergencies.
No official explanation has been provided for the shutdowns. Taliban officials in Balkh initially claimed they were aimed at “preventing vice,” while a spokesperson in Kabul later denied reports that the outage was caused by infrastructure repairs.
“The entire country — from its health systems to its banking sector and small businesses — is substantially reliant on telecommunications to operate and provide essential services,” UNAMA said. “Afghans, already facing significant challenges in their daily lives, should not be subjected to imposed telecommunications cuts which negatively impact their ability to exercise their basic human rights.”
The UN mission urged the Taliban to ensure uninterrupted access to communications services and to recognize telecommunications as a fundamental necessity for humanitarian relief, healthcare, education, and the country’s struggling economy.
