Nearly four years after the cessation of conflict in Sangin district, Helmand province of Afghanistan, the war-torn landscape of the area remains unchanged, with thousands of homes and orchards still in ruins.
Residents of Sangin whose homes were destroyed in recent years of conflict have been unable to rebuild due to economic hardship.
Ebrahim Jan, a resident of Sangin who is trying to rebuild his home, explains that the cost of reconstruction is around 900,000 afghanis—an amount that is beyond his financial capacity.
He adds, “The mud house that I’ve started building will cost between 30 to 35 lakh Pakistani rupees, but we still don’t have the ability to complete it, and we need help in this regard.”
Arman Gul, another resident of Sangin, whose house and orchard were destroyed, shares his hardship: “The past wars have left us with nothing. The gardens and houses are all destroyed. If you look at the gates of the houses, they’re all riddled with bullet holes.”
Mohammad Qasem Riaz, spokesman for the Helmand governor, states that during the recent conflicts, the commercial market of Sangin district was completely destroyed, along with 15,000 residential homes and nearly 2,000 orchards.
According to the spokesman, out of the destroyed homes, only 100 have been rebuilt under the Ministry of Repatriations and Refugees (MoRR), with aid from humanitarian organizations.
“The Sangin commercial market was completely wiped out. It is true that many people in this district still cannot afford to rebuild their homes. In addition, some homes have been rebuilt by local residents themselves,” he added.
Sangin district, which was one of the main battlefields during the Republic era, has endured extensive destruction. As a result, residents are now calling for government and humanitarian assistance to help them return to normal life.
