Authorities in Afghanistan shut down internet and telecommunications services nationwide this week, leaving millions without access to digital communication, banking and essential public services.

The shutdown, confirmed by internet monitoring groups NetBlocks, Kentik and Proton VPN, began late Monday and continued into Tuesday, affecting both mobile and fixed-line services. Telephone networks were also disrupted.

The outage followed a partial disruption earlier this month when the Taliban blocked fiber connections in more than half a dozen provinces, saying the move was needed to curb “immoral acts.” Mobile service had remained available at that time.

The latest blackout has had sweeping consequences. Kabul’s airport was “nearly deserted” on Monday with no planes arriving or departing, the BBC reported. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed a handful of flights canceled on Tuesday, while many others were marked as “unknown.”

Banking and payment systems, food deliveries and online education — crucial for Afghan girls barred from classrooms — were all disrupted. Several ministries’ websites went offline, television stations were knocked off air and international news agencies AP and AFP reported they could not reach their bureaus in Kabul.

The Taliban, which relies heavily on social media and messaging apps for both domestic and international communication, has not publicly commented on the outage.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged the authorities on Tuesday to immediately restore services, saying the blackout “has far-reaching consequences,” including disruptions to financial systems, aviation, medical care and remittances.

“Telecommunications systems are vital during times of disasters,” UNAMA said, noting the outage coincides with recent earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan and mass returns of refugees from neighboring countries. “Internet shutdowns have been shown to put lives at risk.”

Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator, said the outage left the agency in a “very dire situation” with even landlines down. The UN has shifted to radios and satellite links to maintain limited operations.

“We have been trying to reach out to the relevant authorities and even they’re having challenges communicating among themselves,” Ratwatte said, adding that the UN had not been given a reason for the blackout. “Sources informally said it might be short-lived, but we haven’t been officially told anything.”

For Afghans inside and outside the country, the shutdown has been devastating.

“We are unable to reach our colleagues or connect with our members in Afghanistan due to a complete shutdown of internet access across the country,” said Sofia Ramyar, a women’s rights activist. “This blackout has already isolated people, especially women, silenced voices, and turned an entire nation into a digital dark zone.”

Journalist and activist Nilofar Ayoubi said she had been unable to contact her mother for more than nine hours due to the outage. “Afghanistan is back to the Stone Age,” she added.

Governments worldwide are increasingly using internet restrictions to stifle dissent during political crises and suppress freedom of speech. Earlier this month, Nepal restricted access to 26 platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Signal, YouTube and X — triggering violent clashes between young protesters and police.