Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 30, 2025 Humanitarian aid
Vital humanitarian aid efforts to remote Afghan communities hit by last month's devastating earthquake have been severely hampered by the de facto Afghan authorities' decision to shut down the internet nationwide.
"We have been informed that starting yesterday at 5 p.m., telecommunications and fiber optic services in Afghanistan will be suspended until further notice," said Indrika Ratwatte, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the country, speaking via a shaky satellite video link from Kabul.
"The rest of the country is now almost completely disconnected from the internet," he added. He also said contact with humanitarian workers in remote areas assisting earthquake victims in eastern Afghanistan has been lost.
Ratwatte described the plight of families who previously lived in mountain villages but are now forced to live in overcrowded informal settlements in the Kunar Valley. In one such community, he met a woman who had lost 11 members of her family. "It's just a colossal trauma," he noted.
There is no connection
An estimated 43 million Afghans now lack internet access since the Taliban began cutting communications cables several weeks ago in an effort to combat "vice" and immorality under a strict interpretation of Sharia law.
The work of UN humanitarian agencies is also complicated by the Taliban's ban on Afghan women entering their premises, introduced earlier this month.
According to Ratwatte, the internet shutdown affected not only the activities of the UN and its partners, but also health programs, banking and financial services.
“At the community level, this means the cessation of normal business operations, banking transactions, remittances and foreign income that are critical to people,” he explained.
A month has passed since a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan. The disaster claimed the lives of approximately 2,000 people and damaged 8,500 homes.
"Winter is not coming – it's already here," Ratwatte warned, stressing the need to insulate temporary shelters for displaced people and provide them with warm clothing as temperatures plummet.
The planes are not flying
Negotiations are currently underway in Kabul with the country's de facto authorities to ease the internet shutdown to ensure "critical communications" with humanitarian groups.
"This is another crisis on top of the existing one… its consequences will directly impact people's lives," Ratwatte emphasized.
He noted that the current situation will impact medical services, supply chains, and vaccinations. "Aid that ensures the functioning of basic services in the country will also be affected," Ratwatte said. "Flights have been cancelled, and no flights from abroad are arriving today."
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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