A sweeping internet shutdown across Afghanistan by the Taliban authorities has paralysed cross-border trade and disconnected millions of web users in what has been described as a disaster for the country.

At the Dogharoun border crossing, nearly 800 Iranian and Afghan lorries were stranded mounting further problems with perishable food items beginning to perish in the heat while emergency items including medical supplies were also held up, according to Iranian media.

The blackout stems from a nationwide order issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who cited the need to combat “immorality” as justification. According to official sources, between 8,000 and 9,000 telecommunications towers have been shut down, and the outage is expected to continue “until further notice.”

The border disruption, which began on the night of September 30, has affected only outbound traffic from Iran, while inbound trucks from Afghanistan continue to enter without issue. 

The impact has been far-reaching. Afghanistan’s economy has been severely disrupted, with banking systems, airline operations, and government services grinding to a halt.

Ismail Pourabed, director of the Dogharoun border terminal, confirmed that the outage has severed digital communications with Afghan border authorities, halting customs processing and documentation.

“We are working to resolve the issue by arranging a border meeting with Afghan officials through the Taybad border command,” he said.

Pourabed added that under normal conditions, 600 and 700 trucks exit Iran daily via Dogharoun, with operations running until 11 p.m.

Taliban backtracking on internet outage

The situation at airports is no better with flights operated by carriers such as Ariana and Kam Air cancelled, and citizens have been left unable to contact relatives abroad with mobile signals disconnected.

Following the outcry by Afghans, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has attributed widespread internet outages across Afghanistan to “worn fibre optic cables,” claiming they are being replaced, Shahrara reported on October 1.

Mujahid claimed old internet fibre optic cables throughout Afghanistan have become worn and are being replaced. He dismissed rumours about Taliban-imposed internet restrictions, saying "rumours are being spread that we have banned the internet".

Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks confirmed that several networks in Afghanistan have been disconnected and telephone services have been affected, resulting in a complete internet shutdown in the country of 43mn people.

Telecom firms confirm internet shutdown

Telecommunications companies in Afghanistan have confirmed the nationwide internet shutdown was carried out under direct orders from the country's top leadership, Khaama reported on September 30.

Telecom operators said they are merely "managing a sensitive and complex situation" and expressed hope that services may resume soon.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has expressed grave concern, urging authorities to restore internet access immediately. It warned the blackout has "cut Afghanistan off from the world" and placed people's lives at serious risk.

Richard Bennett, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, stressed on September 30 that without urgent restoration of internet services, daily lives of Afghans, Reuters reported.

He cautioned the blackout is undermining access to education, healthcare and communication for women and girls whilst threatening freedom of expression and access to information.