Afghan families with relatives in Iran say a sweeping internet shutdown there has cut off contact for days, heightening fears for the safety of loved ones as anti-government protests continue.
Several Afghan nationals said the outage has prevented phone and online communication, disrupted money transfers and blocked access to essential online services for thousands of Afghan migrants living in Iran.
Nazia, a resident of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, said she had been unable to reach her family in Iran for four days.
“Our families have lived in Iran for years, but since the protests began and the internet was cut, we have had no news from them,” she said. “The situation there is bad and we are deeply worried.”
Iran’s protests entered their 18th day on Tuesday, while the nationwide internet shutdown extended into a fourth day, according to monitoring groups.
The communications blackout has also hit trade, Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment said, warning that disruptions in Iran have created new challenges for Afghan importers and exporters.
Khan Jan Alokozai, a board member of the chamber, said congestion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port had slowed cargo handling as Afghan trade increasingly relies on the route.
“In the past, about half of our imports came through Karachi and half through Bandar Abbas,” he said. “With the Pakistan route closed, congestion in Bandar Abbas has increased and loading has slowed.”
Pakistan has kept its main border crossings with Afghanistan shut for months, forcing traders to rely more heavily on Iran for imports.
Families of Afghan migrants in Iran have urged international human rights groups to intervene to help ensure their safety and to monitor their situation amid the unrest and communications blackout.
