Afghanistan's main airport is at a standstill as the country grapples with the fallout of a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by the Taliban government.
The Taliban has yet to give an official reason for the decision, which took effect on Monday, but did say it would last until further notice. The UN said it risked inflicting significant harm.
Communication within Afghanistan, and out to the wider world, has been severely affected, as have essential services - including banking and payments - and access to online education, a lifeline for many women and girls.
Kabul airport, meanwhile, was nearly deserted, according to one resident, with no evidence of planes arriving or leaving.
Flight tracking service Flightradar24 showed that a handful of incoming and outgoing flights on Tuesday had been cancelled. Many more simply had their status marked as unknown.
One passenger who planned to fly into Kabul International Airport on Tuesday was told there would be no flights until Thursday at the earliest.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan called on the Taliban authorities to immediately and fully restore nationwide internet and telecommunications access.
The Taliban government have for weeks been severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces.
Najibullah, a 42-year-old shopkeeper in Kabul, stated that residents felt like they were left blind without phones and internet. His daughters' online English classes were disrupted, leaving him anxious about their education.
In an earlier post, Netblocks indicated the country was experiencing a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities moved to implement morality measures. The ongoing shutdown highlights the Taliban's restrictions since regaining power, including a recent ban on books written by women and restrictions on women's education.
This latest move raises alarm regarding the future stability and humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan, which are already precarious.
