KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the Taliban’s nationwide internet shutdown is causing severe harm to people’s rights and livelihoods in Afghanistan, cutting off vital services and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
In a statement on Wednesday, HRW said the restrictions further isolate women and girls, cutting off one of the few remaining avenues for education, access to information, online work, and vital services that rely on digital connectivity.
The shutdown, which began in mid-September in several provinces and spread nationwide by the end of the month, has cut Afghanistan off from the outside world, disrupting commerce, banking, media, healthcare, flights, and humanitarian operations.
Taliban authorities initially cut fiber-optic connections, saying the measure was intended to prevent “immoral behavior.” Since 29 September, internet and mobile networks have been completely shut down nationwide.
“The Taliban’s moves to cut internet access harm the livelihoods of millions of Afghans and deprive them of their basic rights to education, health care, and access to information,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at HRW. “The Taliban should drop its baseless rationales and end these shutdowns.”
HRW stressed that internet access is widely recognized as an essential enabler of human rights. It warned that women and girls are disproportionately affected, losing access to education and critical services, including emergency healthcare.
“Afghans were already isolated from the world, but now they are completely cut off,” Ms Abbasi added. “The longer the Taliban internet shutdowns continue, the more harmful the consequences for both the people and the country.”
The UN Human Rights Office, Amnesty International, the UN mission in Afghanistan, and other rights groups and media watchdogs have echoed these concerns, calling on the Taliban to fully and immediately restore internet and telecommunications.
“Nationwide internet shutdown by the Taliban has extremely serious human rights ramifications,” the UN Human Rights Office said in a post on X, warning that the blackout curtails the free flow of information needed for daily life, including access to health, education, and financial services.
The Taliban have yet to issue an official statement explaining the nationwide suspension of internet and telecommunication services.
