View source for Helmand Province

{{Short description|Largest province of Afghanistan}}
{{Redirect|Helmand|the river|Helmand River}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Helmand
| native_name              = {{nq|هلمند}}
| native_name_lang         = ps
| settlement_type          = [[Provinces of Afghanistan|Province]]
| image_skyline            = <!-- images and maps -----------> {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| perrow            = 1/2/2/2/2
| total_width       = 250
| image1 = Chaos Company strikes back with Operation Viper Strike 130410-A-PV892-016.jpg
| image2 = Kajaki Dam Area MOD 45149824.jpg
| image3 = Mosque in Lashkar Gah.jpg
| footer = From the top, [[Reg District (Helmand)|Reg District]], [[Sangin|Sangin Valley]], [[Lashkargah|Lashkargah Mosque]]}}.
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| seal_alt                 = 
| image_shield             = 
| shield_alt               = 
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
| image_map                = Helmand in Afghanistan.svg
| map_alt                  = 
| map_caption              = Map of Afghanistan with Helmand highlighted
| pushpin_map              = 
| pushpin_relief           = yes
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| coordinates              = {{Coord|31.0|64.0|region:AF-HEL_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint            = Capital
| coordinates_footnotes    = 
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = {{Flag|Afghanistan}}
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
| founder                  = 
| seat_type                = Capital
| seat                     = [[Lashkargah]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| leader_party             = 
| leader_title             = Governor
| leader_name              = [[Abdul Rahman Kunduzi]]
| leader_title1            = Deputy Governor
| leader_name1             = [[Mulavi Hizbullah]]<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://pajhwok.com/ps/2021/12/23/four-addicts-from-helmand-prison-were-sent-home-after-treatment/|title = د هلمند له زندانه ۲۱۸ روږدي له درملنې وروسته کورونو ته ولېږل شول|date = 23 December 2021|last1 = بلال|first1 = رضوان الله|access-date = 5 January 2022|archive-date = 5 January 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220105080304/https://pajhwok.com/ps/2021/12/23/four-addicts-from-helmand-prison-were-sent-home-after-treatment/|url-status = live}}</ref>
| unit_pref                = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes           = 
| area_total_km2           = 58584
| area_land_km2            = 
| area_water_km2           = 
| area_water_percent       = 
| area_note                = 
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| population_footnotes     = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Estimated-Population-of-Afghanistan1-1400.pdf |title=Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021–22 |date=April 2021 |website=nsia.gov.af |publisher=National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA) |access-date=June 29, 2021 |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204559/https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Estimated-Population-of-Afghanistan1-1400.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| population_total         = 1,472,162
| population_as_of         = 2021
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_demonym       = 
| population_note          = 
| blank_name_sec1          = [[Languages of Afghanistan|Main languages]]
| blank_info_sec1          = [[Pashto language|Pashto]] <br><ref>Farm Economic Survey of the Helmand Valley, 1975, [http://scottshelmandvalleyarchives.org/docs/fes-78-03.pdf Page 17]</ref> 
| timezone1                = Afghanistan Time
| utc_offset1              = +4:30
| timezone1_DST            = 
| utc_offset1_DST          = 
| postal_code_type         = Postal code
| postal_code              = 39xx
| area_code_type           = 
| area_code                = 
| iso_code                 = AF-HEL
| website                  = 
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Helmand'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛ|l|m|ə|n|d}}, {{respell|HEL|mənd}}<ref>{{Cite Dictionary.com|Helmand}}</ref>}} ([[Pashto]]{{efn|{{IPA|ps|hilˈmand̪}} or {{IPA|ps|ʔilˈmand̪|}}}} and [[Dari]]:{{efn|{{IPA|prs|hɪlˈmand̪}} or {{IPA|prs|ʔɪlˈmand̪|}}}} {{nq|هلمند}}), known in ancient times as '''Hermand''', '''Hirmand''', and '''Hethumand''',<ref name=mrrd/> is one of the 34 [[provinces of Afghanistan]], in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering {{convert|58,584|km2|sqmi|sigfig=1}} area. The province contains 18 [[Districts of Afghanistan|districts]], encompassing over 1,000 villages, and roughly 1,446,230 settled people.<ref name=nsia/> [[Lashkargah]] serves as the provincial capital. Helmand was part of the ''[[Loy Kandahar|Greater Kandahar]]'' region until made into a separate province by the [[Politics of Afghanistan|Afghan government]] in the 20th century. It is largely populated by [[Pashtuns]].

The [[Helmand River]] flows through the mainly desert region of the province, providing water used for irrigation. The [[Kajaki Dam]], which is one of [[List of dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan|Afghanistan's major reservoirs]], is located in the [[Kajaki district]]. Helmand is believed to be one of the world's largest [[opium]] producing regions, responsible for around 42% of the world's total production.<ref name=Smh2007-03-05>
{{cite news
| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/where-the-poppy-is-king/2007/03/04/1172943270271.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
| title=Where the poppy is king
| work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]
| date=2007-03-05
| author=Pat McGeough
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605043426/http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/where-the-poppy-is-king/2007/03/04/1172943270271.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
| archive-date=2011-06-05
| url-status=live
| quote=More than 90 percent of the province's arable land is choked with the hardy plant. A 600-strong, US-trained eradication force is hopelessly behind schedule on its target for this growing season in Helmand - to clear about a third of the crop, which is estimated to be a head-spinning 70,000 hectares.
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| url=http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=379280&sid=WOR
| title=Afghanistan still the largest producer of opium: UN report
| publisher=[[Zee News]]
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000039/http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=379280&sid=WOR
| archive-date=2007-09-28
| url-status=dead
| quote=She said opium cultivation is concentrated in the south of the country, with just one province ‘Helmand’ accounting for 42% of all the illicit production in the world. Many of the provinces with the highest levels of production also have the worst security problems.
| access-date=2007-06-26
}}</ref> This is believed to be more than the whole of [[Myanmar]], which is the second-largest producing nation after Afghanistan. The region also produces [[tobacco]], [[sugar beet]]s, [[cotton]], [[sesame]], [[wheat]], [[mung bean]]s, [[maize]], nuts, [[sunflower]]s, [[onion]]s, [[potato]], [[tomato]], [[cauliflower]], [[peanut]], [[apricot]], [[grape]], and [[melon]].<ref name=nps/> The province has a domestic airport ([[Bost Airport]]), in the city of Lashkargah that was heavily used by [[ISAF|NATO]]-led forces. The former British [[Camp Bastion]] and the U.S. [[Camp Leatherneck]] is a short distance southwest of Lashkargah.

Throughout the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|2001–2021 war in Afghanistan]], Helmand was a hotbed of insurgent activities<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/03/19/could-helmand-be-the-dubai-of-afghanistan/|title=Could Helmand be the Dubai of Afghanistan?|first=Jean|last=MacKenzie|date=19 March 2010|access-date=25 February 2019|archive-date=9 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809111029/https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/03/19/could-helmand-be-the-dubai-of-afghanistan/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=UK's Helmand mission was 'flawed'|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10300703|date=June 12, 2010|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=July 20, 2019|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016085939/https://www.bbc.com/news/10300703|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/47cbc62a1e.html|title=Afghanistan: Clashes in Helmand leave civilians dead, displaced|author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|website=Refworld.org|access-date=2019-02-25|archive-date=2019-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928115757/https://www.refworld.org/docid/47cbc62a1e.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and was often considered at the time to be Afghanistan's "most dangerous" province.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/notes-from-afghanistans-most-dangerous-province-102/|title=Notes from Afghanistan's Most Dangerous Province|first=Ben|last=Anderson|date=June 22, 2015|access-date=February 25, 2019|archive-date=September 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928115759/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/7bdbjq/notes-from-afghanistans-most-dangerous-province-102|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35984894|title=Afghan forces face 'decisive' battle|first=Justin|last=Rowlatt|date=April 7, 2016|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=July 20, 2019|archive-date=November 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109175611/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35984894|url-status=live}}</ref> The province also witnessed some of the heaviest fighting during the war, where at its peak hundreds of civilians were being killed monthly.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tugnoli |first=Lorenzo |title=A year of peace in one of Afghanistan's deadliest provinces |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghanistan-helmand-us-withdrawal-anniversary/ |access-date=2022-10-19 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007011410/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghanistan-helmand-us-withdrawal-anniversary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, Helmand is considered to be one of Afghanistan's most socially conservative areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Afghanistan |work=Countries of Concern |url=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4caebb4f0.pdf |pages=79–86 |access-date=2021-10-21 |archive-date=2017-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123122403/http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4caebb4f0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
{{History of Afghanistan}}
{{Further|History of Afghanistan}}

===Helmand culture===
Helmand culture of western Afghanistan was a [[Bronze Age]] culture of the 3rd millennium BC. It is exemplified by such major sites as [[Shahr-e Sukhteh|Shahr-i Sokhta]], [[Mundigak]], and [[Bampur]].

The term "Helmand civilization" was proposed by M. Tosi. This civilization flourished between 2500 BC and 1900 BC and may have coincided with the great flourishing of the [[Indus Valley Civilisation]]. This was also the final phase of Periods III and IV of Shahr-i Sokhta, and the last part of Mundigak Period IV.

According to Jarrige et al.,

{{blockquote|... the pottery of Mundigak I, the earliest occupation of the [[Helmand culture|complex]], corresponds to the [[Mehrgarh]] III pottery, in technique — the quality of the paste and manufacture — as well as in the shapes and decoration, probably within a phase dated to the end of the 5th millennium [BC]."<ref>Jarrige, J.-F., Didier, A. & Quivron, G. (2011) [https://www.academia.edu/4602453 Shahr-i Sokhta and the Chronology of the Indo-Iranian Borderlands.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328043406/https://www.academia.edu/4602453 |date=2022-03-28 }} Paléorient 37 (2) : 7-34 academia.edu</ref>}}

There were also links between Shahr-i Sokhta I, II, and III periods, and Mundigak III and IV periods, and between the sites of [[Balochistan]] and the Indus valley at the end of the 4th millennium, as well as in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC.

The [[Jiroft culture]] is closely related to the Helmand culture. The Jiroft culture flourished in eastern Iran, and the Helmand culture in western Afghanistan at the same time. They may represent the same cultural area. The [[Mehrgarh]] culture, on the other hand, is far earlier.

===Achaemenid times===

Helmand was inhabited by ancient peoples and governed by the [[Medes]] before falling to the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenids]].

Later, the area was part of the ancient [[Arachosia]] polity, and a frequent target for conquest because of its strategic location in [[Asia]], which connects [[South Asia|Southern]], [[Central Asia|Central]] and [[Southwest Asia]].

The Helmand river valley is mentioned by name in the [[Avesta]] (Fargard 1:13) as ''Haetumant'', one of the early centers or origins of the [[Zoroastrian]] faith, in [[pre-Islamic Afghan history]]. However, owing to the presence of non-Zoroastrians even though Zoroastrians being dominant before the [[Islamization]] of Afghanistan – particularly Buddhist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avesta.org/vendidad/vd1sbe.htm|title=AVESTA: VENDIDAD (English): Fargard 1.|work=avesta.org|access-date=2009-07-09|archive-date=2017-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015042733/http://www.avesta.org/vendidad/vd1sbe.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Some Vedic scholars (e.g. Kochhar 1999) also believe the Helmand river corresponds to the [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvati]] river mentioned in the ''[[Rig Veda]]'' as the homeland of the [[Indo-Aryan migration|Aryan tribes before migrating]] into the [[Indian subcontinent]], ca. 1500 BC.<ref>Kochhar, Rajesh, 'On the identity and chronology of the Ṛgvedic river Sarasvatī' in Archaeology and Language III; Artefacts, languages and texts, [[Routledge]] (1999), {{ISBN|0-415-10054-2}}.</ref>

===Alexander the Great to modern times===
It was invaded in 330 BC by [[Alexander the Great]] and became part of the [[Seleucid Empire]]. Later, it came under the rule of the [[Maurya]]n emperor [[Ashoka]], who erected a pillar there with a bilingual inscription in [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Aramaic]]. The territory was referred to as part of [[Zabulistan]] and ruled by the sun-worshipping [[Zunbils]] before the [[Muslim]] [[Arab people|Arabs]] arrived in the 7th century, who were led by [[Abdur Rahman bin Samara]]. It later fell to the [[Saffarid dynasty|Saffarids]] of [[Zaranj]] and saw the first Muslim rule. [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] made it part of the [[Ghaznavids]] in the 10th century, who were replaced by the [[Ghurid dynasty|Ghurids]].
[[File:Grishk Dam in Helmand.jpg|left|thumb|[[Grishk Dam]], built by the United States around the 1960s.]]

After the destructions caused by [[Genghis Khan]] and his Mongol army in the 13th century, the [[Timurids]] established rule and began rebuilding Afghan cities. From about 1383 until his death in 1407, it was governed by [[Pir Muhammad bin Jahangir Mirza|Pir Muhammad]], a grandson of [[Timur]]. By the early 16th century, it fell to [[Babur]]. However, the area was often contested by the [[Shia Islam|Shia]] [[Safavid dynasty|Safavids]] and [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] until the rise of [[Mir Wais Hotak]] in 1709. He defeated the Safavids and established the [[Hotaki dynasty]]. The Hotakis ruled it until 1738 when the [[Afsharid dynasty|Afsharids]] defeated Shah [[Hussain Hotaki]] at what is now [[Old Kandahar]].

===Durrani era===
When [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] came to power in 1747, after [[Nader Shah]] was assassinated, he began redistributing land grants that had been given by his predecessor. At that time, the area of what is now Helmand province was part of [[Kandahar Province]] (which continued until it was split off into the new [[Farah Province]] during the reign of [[Sher Ali Khan]]), and it was known as ''Pusht-e Rud'', or "across the river", reflecting how the region was viewed from [[Kandahar]], which was Ahmad Shah's capital. Pusht-e Rud traditionally consisted into four districts: [[Zamindawar]], [[Nawzad District|Now Zad]], Pusht-e Rud proper, and [[Garmsir]]. Ahmad Shah's land redistribution legitimized existing [[Alizai (Pashtun tribe)|Alizai]] influence in Zamindawar, while the powerful [[Barakzai]] received Pusht-e Rud proper, and the district of Garmsir in the south was granted to the [[Noorzai]] to protect against [[Baloch people|Baluch]] raids. Now Zad was divided between the Noorzai and the Ishaqzai. This arrangement has survived, with a few exceptions, until the present day.<ref name="Martin 2011">{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Mike |title=A Brief History of Helmand |date=2011 |publisher=Afghan COIN Centre |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L1bpqRFsGtgC |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref>

Then, as now, relatively few members of the [[Popolzai]] tribe (to which Ahmad Shah Durrani belonged) lived in Helmand. The Durrani monarchs were thus ambivalent towards the area's tribes and didn't favor any one tribe over the others. Rather, they treated the tribes according to their relative power. Thus, the powerful Barakzai tribe received a hereditary position as ministers to the crown, as well as some of the most valuable land in Helmand: the alluvial plains around present-day [[Malgir]], [[Babaji, Helmand|Babaji]], and Spin Masjid, as well as the strategically important [[Gereshk]].<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

That changed in 1826, when [[Dost Mohammad Khan]], himself a Barakzai, seized power. Dost Mohammad increased taxes on non-Barakzai tribes in Helmand, especially the Alizai of Zamindawar. When the Alizai didn't pay taxes, a Barakzai punitive expedition was sent to Zamindawar, and in Alizai clan chiefs were executed. During this period, the Alizai began to view the Barakzai as enemies, creating the Alizai-Barakzai dynamic that still heavily influences Helmand politics.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

At this time, the area around Garmsir was effectively independent, and ignored by the monarchy in Kabul.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

===Anglo-Afghan Wars===
{{see also|Anglo-Afghan Wars}}
In 1839, the British deposed Dost Mohammad Khan in favor of the Popolzai [[Shah Shuja Durrani]]. In doing so, they hoped to limit Russian influence in Afghanistan. Hoping to secure the loyalty of Helmandi tribal leaders, Shah Shujah reinstated the titles they had previously enjoyed under Popolzai rule, and he also held off on taxing them until his position was stronger. However, he kept the Barakzai tax collectors in office, and they resumed collection in 1840. When a Barakzai tax collector was killed at Sarwan Qala that year, the British sent in troops to enforce collection, a political blunder leading to open rebellion by the Alizai. It is not known if the British were aware of the political ramifications of Shah Shujah's decision to retain the Barakzai tax collectors, but they were completely bewildered by the ensuing rebellion, reflecting a clear lack of understanding of local dynamics on their part.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

The leader of the rebellion was Aktur Khan, who had risen to prominence during this dispute. His invocations of Alizai honor and appeals to group identity had resulted in him attaining chieftainship of the Alizai. After some skirmishes, the British offered to remove the Barakzai tax collectors in return for the dispersal of Aktur Khan's 1,300 followers. This soon broke down, and by May 1841, Aktur Khan led a force of 3,000 men to capture Gereshk. The British retook Gereshk at the beginning of June and then led punitive expeditions into Zamindawar, and eventually the rebellion was defeated and Aktur Khan fled to [[Herat]].<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

British-backed Barakzai horsemen were sent to reinforce Gereshk in November 1841. The Alizai repeatedly tried to capture it, but the Barakzai were able to maintain control until August 1842 because the other Barakzai who lived there kept them well-supplied.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

Dost Mohammad Khan was reinstalled for a second reign when the British withdrew from Afghanistan, but he ran into financial difficulties and sought a subsidy from the British in 1857. He distributed money from this subsidy unevenly among Helmandi tribes, favoring the Barakzai over the others, which upset the balance of power between the tribes. The subsidy also divided Afghanistan into British and Russian spheres of influence, with Gereshk and the Helmand river being on the border between them, increasing the area's strategic importance. The subsidy ended in 1862 when Dost Mohammad died and a succession crisis broke out between his sons. Helmandis fought as [[mercenary|mercenaries]] on the side of one of them, [[Sher Ali Khan]], playing a role in his eventual victory. The deciding battle was fought at Gereshk in 1868.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

Indebted to the Helmandi tribes for their contributions during the war, Sher Ali scaled back tax collection in the area and reduced the allowances to the Barakzai khans. Because of this, the Alizai did not rebel during his reign. Another key development for Helmand (Pusht-e Rud) during Sher Ali's reign was that he moved its four traditional districts into the newly created [[Farah Province]], moving it out of Kandahar's sphere of influence and meaning that he could influence the Pusht-e Rud area without going through a relative in Kandahar.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

In November 1878, the British invaded Afghanistan again. They occupied Gereshk until February 1879; an Alizai force of 1500 attacked them as they withdrew. Sher Ali died soon after, however, and the British wanted to again occupy Gereshk as a forward outpost against Sher Ali's son [[Ayub Khan (Emir of Afghanistan)|Ayub Khan]]. Perhaps realizing that the presence of their troops garrisoning Helmandi forts upset locals, the British sent a proxy Barakzai force to occupy Gereshk.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

Ayub Khan found ample support from Helmandis in his subsequent campaign against the British: three or four thousand Alizai tribesmen, led by a man named [[Abu Bakr (Alizai leader)|Abu Bakr]], had joined his army by October, as did a smaller contingent of Noorzai. Doubting the Barakzai's loyalty, the British sent some of their own troops to reinforce Gereshk in July 1880, led by [[George Burrows (Indian Army officer)|George Burrows]]. The Barakzai promptly mutinied and went over to Ayub Khan's side — a rare Barakzai-Alizai alliance, joining against a common enemy. The British withdrew and Ayub Khan's army pursued, leading to a major Afghan victory at the [[Battle of Maiwand]] on 27 July. Having achieved their main goal of defeating the British, the Alizai then left and returned to Zamindawar.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

The British later defeated Ayub Khan, but they ended up withdrawing from Afghanistan altogether, installing [[Abdur Rahman Khan]] as the new ruler and giving him a subsidy. Abdur Rahman Khan was a strong and intelligent state-builder who used the subsidy to finance a professional army. He defeated Abu Bakr of the Alizai and had him exiled, after which the Alizai cooperated with paying taxes. He used a combination of incentives and force to move the Ishaqzai and Noorzai to the northwestern part of Afghanistan, away from the lands along the Helmand they had been granted by Nader Shah. Their relocation was a disaster and many ended up returning to the Helmand area.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

When they came back, however, they were only given scattered, less-productive lands. This dramatically changed the power dynamic of the Helmand area, marking the beginning of Ishaqzai and (to a lesser degree) Noorzai disenfranchisement from government that has continued into the 21st century. The Noorzai would occupy marginal lands until the late 20th century, and the Ishaqzai population remains dispersed and scattered throughout Helmand today.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

The weakening of Helmand's non-Barakzai tribes, combined with a policy of non-interference with the tribes, led to stability in the region throughout Abdur Rahman's reign. This continued during the rule of his son Habibullah, who died in 1919.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

===20th century development projects===
An important development was the re-construction of the Nahr-e Saraj canal, beginning in 1910. Newly irrigated areas that had previously been desert were now populated with ethnic and tribal groups who were not originally from Helmand, including refugees from Central Asia fleeing Soviet rule. Many of the villages along the canal therefore are named after these groups, such as Uzbek, Turkmen, and Popolzai. The government had originally planned to continue developing the Helmand area during the 1920s, but ended up shelving that project due to unrest over Amanullah's social reforms. In 1936, after the Musahiban dynasty had come to power, the government began construction of another canal in Helmand, the Nahr-e Bughra. The Afghan government originally sought out US financial and technical assistance, but the US refused, so instead it was the Germans and Japanese who contributed. The Nahr-e Bughra project employed up to 7,000 workers, and there were also other small-scale development projects in the area at the same time. Roads, bridges, and telephone wires were built to connect the major settlements. This was the first externally supervised development project in Helmand. However, when [[World War II]] broke out, the British requested that the German and Japanese engineers be expelled from Afghanistan, and the government had to continue on its own.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

Helmand was the center of the [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]] program in the 1960s to develop the [[Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority]] (HAVA) &ndash; it became known locally as "little America". The program laid out tree-lined streets in Lashkargah, built a network of irrigation canals and constructed a large hydroelectric dam. The development program was abandoned when pro-Soviet Union forces seized power in 1978, although much of the province is still irrigated by the HAVA.

===Administrative changes===
Thanks in part to the irrigation projects, the Pusht-e Rud area had become more important, and the government recognized this by splitting it off from Farah Province to create a new ''Gereshk Province'' in 1960. Gereshk was made the capital to reflect the historical importance of the Barakzai, which had been diluted by the influx of outside settlers in the province. The US, however, cared more that the HVA headquarters was in Lashkar Gah, and they successfully lobbied the Afghan government to relocate the provincial capital there. This happened in 1964, and the province was renamed "Helmand Province".<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

For the first time since 1826, the Helmandi Barakzai were no longer dominant in the region. To compensate for this, the government completelty redrew the district boundaries in Helmand. The four traditional districts were abolished and replaced new districts. These new districts, greater in number than the traditional ones, were each assigned an "order", which determined how much resources would be allocated to each district. Additionally, since the [[1964 Constitution of Afghanistan|1964 constitution]] introduced voting, the new districts were drawn in a way allowing the government to maintain influence and control.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

The former Barakzai-dominated district of Pusht-e Rud proper, or Gereshk, was split into Nahr-e Seraj (the only 1st order district in the province), Nawa (4th order), and [[Lashkar Gah district|Lashkar Gah]] (which, as the capital, had its own resourcing protocol). Lashkar Gah district was [[gerrymandering|gerrymandered]] to give the Barakzai a majority over the mixed tribes in the urban area: a slice of Barakzai-dominated [[Babaji, Afghanistan|Babaji]] was included, and the boundary with [[Nad-e Ali district]] was drawn on the border of Barakzai territory in [[Bolan, Helmand|Bolan]]. This way, the Barakzai central government was able to retain control of even the new capital of Helmand.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

Meanwhile, the Alizai district of Zamindawar was split into [[Musa Qala district|Musa Qala]] (2nd order), [[Baghran district|Baghran]] (4th order), and [[Kajaki district|Kajaki]] (sub-district status). Now Zad, with its mixed Noorzai and Ishaqzai population, was split into [[Now Zad district|Now Zad]] (2nd order) and [[Washir district|Washir]] (sub-district status). [[Garmsir district]] was the only one of the traditional districts to remain intact; it was given 3rd-order status. The 37 different tribes and ethnicities who had immigrated to Nad-e Ali and Marjah were lumped into a single 3rd-order district. Finally, the sub-district of [[Sangin district|Sangin]] was created to separate the [[Alikozai]] tribe, closely related to the Barakzai, from the Alizai.<ref name="Martin 2011"/>

===21st century===
{{Further|Helmand province campaign}}
[[File:US Navy 110105-N-0318S-093 A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter flies over a Seabee project site in Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|[[Camp Leatherneck]]]]

During [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], the [[United States Agency for International Development]] program contributed to a counter-narcotics initiative called the Alternative Livelihoods Program (ALP) in the province. It paid communities to work to improve their environment and economic infrastructure as an alternative to [[opium poppy]] farming. The project undertook [[drainage]] and canal rehabilitation projects. In 2005 and 2006, there were problems in getting promised finance to communities and this was a source of considerable tension between the farmers and the Coalition forces.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}

After it was decided to deploy British troops to the Province, [[Permanent Joint Headquarters|PJHQ]] tasked [[Special Air Service|22 SAS]] to conduct a reconnaissance of the province. The review was led by [[Mark Carleton-Smith]], who found the province largely at peace due to the brutal rule of [[Sher Mohammad Akhundzada]], and a booming opium-fuelled economy that benefited the pro-government warlords. In June he reported back to the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|MoD]] warning them not to remove Akhundzada and against the deployment of a large British force which would likely cause conflict where none existed.<ref>Farrell, Theo, ''Unwinnable: Britain's War in Afghanistan, 2001–2014'', Bodley Head, 2017 {{ISBN|1847923461|978-1847923462}}, P.233</ref>

It was announced in January 2006 in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]] that [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF) would replace the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. troops]] in the province as part of [[Operation Herrick]]. The British [[16 Air Assault Brigade]] would be the core of the force in Helmand Province. British bases were located in the districts of [[Sangin]], [[Lashkargah]] and [[Grishk]]. British forces were replaced in Sangin by elements of the [[United States Marine Corps]] I Marine Expeditionary Force Forward.

In summer 2006, Helmand was one of the provinces involved in [[Operation Mountain Thrust]], a combined NATO-Afghan mission targeted at Taliban fighters in the south of the country. In July 2006, this offensive mission essentially stalled in Helmand as NATO, primarily British, and Afghan troops were forced to take increasingly defensive positions under heavy insurgent pressure. In response, British troop levels in the province were increased, and new encampments were established in Sangin and Grishk. Fighting was particularly heavy in the districts of Sangin, Naway, [[Nawzad, Afghanistan|Nawzad]] and [[Garmsir]]. There were reports that the Taliban saw Helmand province as a key testing area for their ability to take and hold Afghan territory from NATO-led [[Afghan National Security Forces]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5189316.stm |work=BBC News |title=Coalition 'retakes Taleban towns' |date=2006-07-19 |access-date=2010-05-04 |archive-date=2021-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301190828/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5189316.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Commanders on the ground described the situation as the most brutal conflict the [[British Army]] had been involved in since the [[Korean War]].

[[File:Opium poppies in Helmand -a.jpg|left|thumb|A U.S. Marine greeting local children working in an opium poppy field in 2011.]]

In Autumn 2006, British troops started to reach "cessation of hostilities" agreements with local Taliban forces around the district centers where they had been stationed earlier in the summer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2383232,00.html |work=The Times |location=London |title=British troops in secret truce with the Taliban |first=Michael |last=Smith |date=2006-10-01 |access-date=2010-05-04 |archive-date=2008-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007040601/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2383232,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Under the terms of the agreement, both sets of forces were to withdraw from the conflict zone. This agreement from the British forces implied that the strategy of holding key bases in the district, as requested by [[List of Presidents of Afghanistan|Afghan President]] [[Hamid Karzai]], was essentially untenable with the levels of British troop deployment. The agreement was also a setback for [[Taliban]] fighters, who were desperate to consolidate their gains in the province, but were under heavy pressure from various [[NATO]] offensives.

News reports identified the insurgents involved in the fighting as a mix of Taliban fighters and warring tribal groups who are heavily involved in the province's lucrative opium trade.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5179440.stm |work=BBC News |title=Unravelling the Helmand impasse |date=2006-07-14 |access-date=2010-05-04 |first=Alastair |last=Leithead |archive-date=2020-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026032503/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5179440.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Given the amount of drugs produced in the area, it is likely that foreign drug traffickers were also involved.

[[File:ANP headquarters in Lashkar Gah.jpg|thumb|[[Afghan National Police]] station in [[Lashkargah]].]]

Fighting continued throughout the winter, with British and allied troops taking a more pro-active stance against the Taliban insurgents. Several operations were launched including ''Operation Silicone'' at the start of spring. In May 2007, [[Dadullah|Mullah Dadullah]], one of the Taliban's top commanders, along with 11 of his men were killed by NATO-led Afghan forces in Helmand.

In April 2008, about 1,500 [[2nd Battalion 7th Marines]] occupied over {{convert|300|sqmi|km2|sigfig=1}} of Helmand River valley and neighboring [[Farah Province]]. The operation was to set up forward operation bases and train the [[Afghan National Police]] in an area with little or no outside support.

[[File:Road in Helmand Province.jpg|thumb|left|Locals drive on the new 12-kilometer road built by Afghans partnered with Marine and British engineer mentors. The new road was completed five months ahead of schedule and built entirely by Afghans.]]

Also in 2008, an [[Embedded Training Team]] from the [[Oregon Army National Guard]] led a Kandak of [[Afghan National Army]] troops in fighting against the Taliban in [[Lashkargah]], as seen in the documentary [[Shepherds of Helmand]].

In June 2009, ''Operation Panther's Claw'' was launched with the stated aim of securing control of various canal and river crossings and establishing a lasting ISAF presence in an area described by Lt. Col. Richardson as "one of the main Taliban strongholds" ahead of the 2009 Afghan presidential election.

In July 2009, around 4,000 U.S. Marines pushed into the Helmand River valley in a major offensive to liberate the area from Taliban insurgents. The operation, dubbed [[Operation Khanjar]] (''Operation Dagger''), was the first major push since [[List of Presidents of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Barack Obama|Obama]]'s request for 21,000 additional soldiers in Afghanistan, targeting the Taliban insurgents.

In February 2013, ''[[BBC]]'' reported that [[Corruption in Afghanistan|corruption]] occurs in Afghan National Police bases, with some bases arming children, using them as servants and sometimes [[Child sexual abuse|sexually abusing]] them;<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghan police: Panorama uncovers corruption in Helmand bases |author=Ben Anderson |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-21572498 |newspaper=BBC News |date=25 February 2013 |access-date=4 March 2013 |archive-date=22 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522221651/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21572498 |url-status=live }}</ref> in early March 2013, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that government corruption is rampant with routine accusations against the police of shaking down and sexually abusing civilians causing loyalty to the government to be weaker.<ref>{{cite news |title=As Marines Exit Afghan Province, a Feeling That a Campaign Was Worth It |author=James Dao |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/world/asia/marines-quit-afghan-province-feeling-the-war-was-worth-it.html?pagewanted=all |newspaper=New York Times |date=3 March 2013 |access-date=4 March 2013 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506053909/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/world/asia/marines-quit-afghan-province-feeling-the-war-was-worth-it.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 13 August 2021, the capital of the province Lashkar Gah fell to the Taliban after weeks of fighting in the [[Battle of Lashkargah]]. Around 1,500 Afghan soldiers were said to have surrendered, leaving the province in Taliban hands.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bunkall|first=Alistair|date=14 August 2021|title=Afghanistan: Taliban fighters take southern city of Lashkar Gah following capture of Kandahar and Herat2|url=https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-uk-to-deploy-600-troops-as-taliban-captures-countrys-second-and-third-largest-cities-12379951|access-date=15 August 2021|website=Sky News|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815151018/https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-uk-to-deploy-600-troops-as-taliban-captures-countrys-second-and-third-largest-cities-12379951|url-status=live}}</ref> According to ''[[The Washington Post]]'', the US withdrawal and Taliban victory was mostly met with relief in Helmand; the province had suffered through some of the deadliest battles of the war from 2001 to 2021<ref>{{Cite news |title=A year of peace in one of Afghanistan's deadliest provinces |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghanistan-helmand-us-withdrawal-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |archive-date=2023-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330111350/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2022/afghanistan-helmand-us-withdrawal-anniversary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and heavy US-led bombardments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=郭蓉 |title=US atrocities still haunt Afghans trying to rebuild |url=https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202209/01/WS63100df3a310fd2b29e755f4.html |access-date=2022-10-19 |website=global.chinadaily.com.cn |archive-date=2022-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019124015/https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202209/01/WS63100df3a310fd2b29e755f4.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Transport==
{{Further|Transport in Afghanistan}}
[[File:Back of Antonov An-225 at Camp Bastion in 2011.jpg|thumb|The [[Antonov An-225 Mriya]] at [[Camp Bastion]]]]

[[Bost Airport]] serves the population of Helmand for domestic flights to other parts of the country. It is designed for civilian use. NATO-led forces heavily used the airport at [[Camp Shorabak]], formerly [[Camp Bastion]]. [[Camp Leatherneck]], which used to be the main British base in Afghanistan during the occupation, is also adjacent. All sites were claimed by the Taliban on 13 August 2021.

There is no rail service. Primary roads include the ring road passes through Helmand from Kandahar to Delaram. There is a major north–south route (Highway 611) that goes from Lashkargah to Sangin. About 33% of Helmands roads are not passable during certain seasons and in some areas, there are no roads at all.

==Economy==
{{Further|Economy of Afghanistan}}

Farming is the main source of income for the majority. This includes agriculture and animal husbandry. Animals include cows, sheep, goats, and chicken. Donkeys and [[camel]]s are used for labor. The province has a potential for fishery. The region produces the following: [[opium]], tobacco, cotton, wheat and potato.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

==Healthcare==
{{Further|Health in Afghanistan}}

The percentage of households with clean drinking water fell from 28% in 2005 to 3% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org">{{cite web|website=Civil Military Fusion Centre – Archive |url=https://www.cimicweb.org/AfghanistanProvincialMap/Pages/Helmand.aspx |title=Helmund Province |access-date=2014-05-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531105749/https://www.cimicweb.org/AfghanistanProvincialMap/Pages/Helmand.aspx |archive-date=2014-05-31 }}</ref>
The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 2% in 2005 to 3% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org"/>
{{clear}}

==Education==
{{Further|Education in Afghanistan}}
[[File:Friendly Afghan police officer and Afghan girls celebrate the opening of a new girls' school in Helmand.jpg|thumb|An Afghan police officer giving a book to schoolgirls during the opening of a new girls' school in Helmand]]

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 5% in 2005 to 12% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org"/> The overall net enrollment rate (6–13 years of age) fell from 6% in 2005 to 4% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org"/>

==Demographics==
{{Further|Demographics of Afghanistan}}
[[File:US Army ethnolinguistic map of Afghanistan -- circa 2001-09.jpg|thumb|[[Ethnolinguistics|Ethnolinguistic]] groups of [[Afghanistan]]]]

As of 2020, the population of Helmand Province is about 1,446,230.<ref name=nsia>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A2%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%86%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B3-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%DB%B1%DB%B3%DB%B9%DB%B9-%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AE%DB%80-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84.pdf |title=Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2020-21 |publisher=Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, National Statistics and Information Authority |access-date=6 June 2021 |archive-date=3 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703171906/https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A2%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%86%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B3-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%DB%B1%DB%B3%DB%B9%DB%B9-%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AE%DB%80-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is mostly a tribal and rural society, with the ethnic [[Pashtun people|Pashtuns]] being predominant; there is a significant [[Baloch people|Baloch]] minority in the south, and there is small minority of [[Tajik people|Tajiks]], and a significant minority of [[Hazara people|Hazaras]] in the far northern regions of the province.<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome - Naval Postgraduate School |url=http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Docs/PDF+Maps/NewTribal/Helmand.pdf |access-date=28 March 2018 |website=Nps.edu |archive-date=8 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008225947/http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Docs/PDF%20Maps/NewTribal/Helmand.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Pashtuns are divided into the following tribes: [[Barakzai]] (32%), [[Nurzai]] (16%), [[Alakozai]] (9%), and [[Pashtun tribes|Eshaqzai]] (5.2%).<ref name=nps>{{cite web |title=Helmand |url=http://www.nps.edu/programs/ccs/Docs/Executive%20Summaries/Helmand_Executive_Sum.pdf |work=Program for Culture & Conflict Studies |date=May 1, 2010 |access-date=2012-12-28 |archive-date=2012-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008230042/http://www.nps.edu/programs/CCS/Docs/Executive%20Summaries/Helmand_Executive_Sum.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> All the inhabitants practice [[Sunni Islam]] except the small number of Hazaras who are [[Shi'a Islam|Shi'as]] and the Sikhs who follow [[Sikhism]]. Of the population, 53.5% lived below the national [[poverty line]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nynR_73lsuYC&pg=PA255|title = Decoding the New Taliban: Insights from the Afghan Field|isbn = 9781849042260|last1 = Giustozzi|first1 = Antonio|date = August 2012| publisher=Hurst }}</ref>

==Districts==
[[File:Helmand districts.png|thumb|Districts of Helmand Province]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Districts of Helmand Province
|-
!District
!Capital
!Population<ref name=mrrd>{{cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=120 |title=Hillmand Province |publisher=[[Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development]] |work=Government of Afghanistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |access-date=2012-12-27 |archive-date=2013-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729183605/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=131&Itemid=120 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
!Area<br/>in km<sup>2</sup>
!Pop.<br />density
!Number of villages and ethnic groups
|-
|[[Baghran District|Baghran]] || || 129,745 || 3,858 || 34 ||38 villages. 90% Pashtun, 10% Hazara.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNHCR Field Office Kandahar District Profile Baghran |url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/baghran.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027182037/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/baghran.pdf |archive-date=2005-10-27 |accessdate=22 July 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Dishu District|Dishu]] || || 30,296 || 11,680 || 2 || 80% Pashtun, 20% Baloch<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/dishu.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027175256/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/dishu.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Garmsir District|Garmsir]] || || 119,237 || 14,260 || 8 || 112 villages. 99% Pashtun, 1% Baloch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/garmser.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027182104/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/garmser.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[Kajaki District|Kajaki]] || || 116,827 || 2184 || 53 || 220 villages. 100% Pashtun.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/kajaki.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027180625/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/kajaki.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Khanashin District|Khanashin]] (Reg) || || 26,348 || 7,064 || 4 || 52% Pashtun, 48% Baloch.<ref>Farm Economic Survey of the Helmand Valley, 1975, [http://scottshelmandvalleyarchives.org/docs/fes-78-03.pdf Page 18]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/khanishin.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027184243/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/khanishin.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Lashkargah District|Lashkargah]] || [[Lashkargah]] || 194,473 || 1,891 || 103 || 160 villages. 60% Pashtun, 20% Baloch, 20% Hindu, Hazara and Uzbek.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-11-26 |title=UNHCR Sub-Office DISTRICT PROFILE |url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/lashkargah.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027185717/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/lashkargah.pdf |archive-date=2005-10-27 |accessdate=22 July 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Majrah District|Marjah]] || [[Marjah]] || 30,425 || 2,904 || 10 || Used to belong to [[Nad Ali District]].
|-
|[[Musa Qala District|Musa Qala]] || [[Musa Qala]] || 121,749 || 1,209 || 101 || 100% Pashtun.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/musa_aala.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027184309/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/musa_aala.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nad Ali District|Nad Ali]] || || 186,929 || 3,046 || 61 ||80% Pashtun, 10% Hazara, 5% Tajik, 5% Baloch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNHCR Field Office Kandahar Distric Profile |url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/nad_ali.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027182205/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/nad_ali.pdf |archive-date=2005-10-27 |accessdate=22 July 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Grishk District|Grishk]] (Nahri Saraj) || || 174,820 || 1,554 || 113 || 97 villages. 90% Pashtun, 5% Hazara, 5% Baloch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/nahri_saraj.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206054611/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/nahri_saraj.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2009-02-06|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nawa-I-Barakzayi District|Nawa-I-Barakzayi]] || || 111,259 || 617 || 180 || 350 villages. 99% Pashtun, 1% Farsiwan, Hindu and Sikh.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/nawa_e_barakzai.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027193146/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/nawa_e_barakzai.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nawzad District|Nawzad]] || || 97,824 || 5,318 || 18 || 100% Pashtun.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/naw_zad.pdf|title=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027182129/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/naw_zad.pdf|accessdate=22 July 2023|archive-date=2005-10-27|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sangin District|Sangin]] || [[Sangin]] || 77,353 || 516 || 150 || 100% Pashtun.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNHCR Sub-Office Kandahar DISTRICT PROFILE 01/12/2002 Province: Helmand, District: Sangin |url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/sangin.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027180715/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/sangin.pdf |archive-date=2005-10-27 |accessdate=22 July 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[Washir District|Washir]] || || 28,945 || 4,647 || 6 || 100% Pashtun.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNHCR Field Office Kandahar DISTRICT PROFILE 31/12/2002 Province: Helmand, District: Washar |url=http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/D_Washar.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027183130/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/southern/helmand/D_Washar.pdf |archive-date=2005-10-27 |accessdate=22 July 2023 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#d3d3d3"
|'''Helmand'''
|
|'''1,446,230'''
| '''58,305'''
|'''25'''
|88.1% [[Pashtuns]], 5.4% [[Baloch people|Balochi]], 3.9% [[Hazaras]], 0.9% [[Hinduism in Afghanistan|Hindus]], 0.9% [[Uzbeks]], 0.8% [[Farsiwan]]s ([[Tajiks]]), <0.1% [[Sikhism in Afghanistan|Sikhs]].{{refn|group=note|Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.}}
|}
{{reflist|group=note}}

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths=200 heights=140 caption="Images of Helmand Province">
File:Kajaki Dam and spillway in 2012.jpg|The [[Kajaki Dam]] (left) and [[spillway]] (right)
Mountains Aflame.jpg|Mountains in [[Musa Qala District]] during sunset
File:Afghan Local Police (ALP), Afghan National Police and Afghan Border Police officers stand in formation during an ALP graduation ceremony at the regional ALP training center in the Lashkar Gah district, Helmand 130606-A-RI362-222.jpg|[[Afghan National Security Forces]], which includes [[Afghan National Police]] (ANP), [[Afghan Border Police]] (ABP) and [[Afghan Local Police]] (ALP)
File:Afghan children wave flags during a celebration of the Islamic religious holiday of Eid al-Fitr in the Garmsir district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug 110831-M-ED643-010.jpg|Afghans with national flags
</gallery>

==Human rights activist==
* [[Abdul Waheed Farotan (activist)|Abdul Waheed Farotan]]

==See also==
* [[2007 Helmand province airstrikes]]
* [[Dasht-e Margo]]
* [[Operation Khanjar]]
* [[Provinces of Afghanistan]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Helmand Province
|North     = [[Ghor Province]]
|Northeast = [[Daykundi Province]]<br />[[Urozgan Province]]
|East      = [[Kandahar Province]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]], {{flag|Pakistan}}
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Nimruz Province]]
|Northwest = [[Farah Province]]
}}
{{Provinces of Afghanistan}}
{{War on Terror}}
{{Helmand Province}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Helmand Province| ]]
[[Category:Provinces of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Provinces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]