GENEVA: The United Nations is seeking a waiver from the Taliban’s shutdown of internet and mobile phone services in Afghanistan, warning the blackout is hurting a country already suffering from multiple crises.
UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan Indrika Ratwatte said the shutdown that started Monday was affecting day-to-day business and critical aid provision.
This is another crisis on top of the existing crises, utterly unnecessary in that sense for this kind of interruption to take place, and the impact is going to be on the lives of Afghan people.
Afghanistan remains one of the world’s poorest countries after decades of conflict, facing a protracted humanitarian crisis deepened by severe drought and recent earthquakes.
The country has also seen millions of Afghans forced back from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran in recent years.
Ratwatte revealed the UN was left in a very dire situation for communications with their landlines also out.
We are in discussions with the government to seek a waiver for critical connectivity for us.
He noted that even Taliban authorities were having challenges communicating between themselves during the blackout.
The UN has activated essential business continuity measures using radios to communicate while scaling back operations.
The organisation is contacting satellite service providers to try to secure increased bandwidth.
Ratwatte confirmed the UN had not received any official explanation for the telecommunications disruption.
Informal sources suggested the blackout might be short-lived but we haven’t been officially told anything.
Critical medical services, supply chains and vaccination programmes will be impacted by the communications shutdown.
Banking services and international remittances critical for Afghan communities have been cut off.
International flights are also not coming into the country due to the communications blackout. – AFP
