Taliban Begins Construction and Repair of 134 Homes in Three Helmand Districts

The Taliban administration has announced the commencement of construction and repair work on 134 residential houses in three districts of Helmand province. This initiative aims to address some of the urgent needs of local residents after years of war and destruction.

According to the information provided, out of these houses, 97 will be repaired or renovated, while 37 others will be built from the foundation to a standard quality. The cost of these projects is stated to be 130,000 US dollars, funded by the Afghanistan Reconstruction and Development Institute. The program will be implemented in the districts of Nahri Saraj, Sangin, and Marjah.

Officials from the organization say the projects include two components: building new homes and repairing those that have been partially damaged. They add that the main focus is on families who have suffered the most damage during past conflicts.

Nahri Saraj is one of the districts where hundreds of residents’ homes were destroyed in years of war. Many families say they lack the financial means to rebuild their houses and, while welcoming this aid, emphasize that hundreds of other families are still waiting for support.

Some Helmand residents say their homes were destroyed during intense fighting in recent years, and this initiative only addresses a portion of the needs. They call for the expansion of the program to include more families, especially widows and orphans.

Local officials in Nahri Saraj claim that since the Taliban came to power, dozens of houses have been built in this district, and under the current program, 27 more houses are set to be repaired. They say these houses include two rooms, one bathroom, and a veranda.

According to available information, more than five thousand houses have been completely destroyed due to twenty years of conflict in the districts of Sangin, Marjah, Nawa, and central areas of Helmand. However, critics argue that the scale of destruction is far greater than what limited projects can compensate for, and that the Taliban administration has not yet presented a comprehensive and transparent plan for the all-encompassing reconstruction of this province.