Afghanistan: UN warns internet blackout disrupts earthquake relief

Kabul, October 1 (IANS) The United Nations has warned that internet blackout in Afghanistan is disrupting earthquake relief, leaving survivors living in remote areas cut off from aid, financial services, and vital humanitarian coordination efforts, local media reported on Wednesday.

United Nations aid agencies said that the internet blackout in Afghanistan has severely hindered efforts to reach people devastated due to the deadly earthquakes that occurred in Afghanistan in August, leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported.

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, Indrika Ratwatte, said on Tuesday that all telephone and fiber-optic services had been shut "until further notice," resulting in people being unable to access online media.

He said that relief teams in the mountainous areas are unable to contact central offices, making it nearly impossible to provide aid to earthquake survivors. Ratwatte further said that displaced people in Kunar, many of whom reside in isolated mountainous regions, face dire circumstances without timely assistance.

The internet shutdown has also affected health services, financial systems and banking, further deteriorating the humanitarian crisis in already fragile residents. Indrika Ratwatte emphasised that international money transfers, local banking transactions and other necessary community services have been halted due to internet shutdown.

The UN has demanded the immediate restoration of communications, warning that humanitarian groups, without internet connectivity, cannot provide life-saving support to most-vulnerable people in Afghanistan. Officials warned that the internet shutdown not only delays earthquake recovery but also threatens to further increase economic and social hardships in Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

Flights and communication faced disruption on Monday after an internet blackout occurred in Afghanistan, sparking fears about transport, trade and worsening the country’s humanitarian and economic crisis.

Flights to Afghanistan were suspended on Monday evening, stranding passengers at Dubai International Airport, after a nationwide internet blackout, Khaama Press reported.

Pictures that surfaced on social media showed people waiting in crowded terminals, uncertain about when the flights would start operating again for Afghanistan. The disruption in flights resulted in widespread frustration and anxiety among passengers.

Afghans who live abroad could not contact their loved ones in Afghanistan after the internet shutdown, causing fears regarding the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. Observers stated that internet shutdown not only disrupts travelling but also sparks concerns regarding communication, trade and operations of businesses and households in Afghanistan.

--IANS

akl/as