"The United Nations mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban on Tuesday to restore internet and telecommunications access across the country, saying the blackout imposed by the government in Kabul has left the nation almost entirely cut off from the outside world. The outage, reported the previous day, was the first nationwide shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and was part of their professed crackdown on immorality."
"Earlier this month, several provinces lost their fiber-optic connections after Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree banning the service to prevent immorality. The disruption threatened economic stability and deepened one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, said the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. It warned that the blackout is crippling banking and financial systems, isolating women and girls, limiting access to medical care and remittances, and disrupting aviation."
The U.N. mission urged the Taliban to restore internet and telecommunications access nationwide after a blackout left the country almost entirely cut off. The outage began with provincial fiber-optic losses following a decree by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada banning the service to prevent immorality, and spread from Sept. 16 to become nationwide on Sept. 29. The blackout threatens economic stability, deepens a severe humanitarian crisis, cripples banking and financial systems, isolates women and girls, limits access to medical care and remittances, disrupts aviation, and undermines freedom of expression and the right to information. Telecommunications are crucial during recent earthquakes and mass forced returns.
Read at www.npr.org
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