From British Defeats to Roaring Unemployment: Helmand’s Latest War

By Ghulam Habib Nusrat 

Helmand, long remembered as a battlefield where empires were humbled and the British suffered bitter defeats, is today fighting a very different war. The enemy is no longer foreign soldiers but a silent crisis of roaring unemployment and economic despair. For the people of Helmand, daily survival has become the toughest battle yet.

Once a province known for fertile fields, trade, and job opportunities, Helmand has descended into hardship since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Locals say that poverty and joblessness have reached breaking point, forcing educated youth and laborers alike into hopelessness — or into the arms of smugglers who promise a better life abroad.

“I am a university graduate, but with no jobs and the rising cost of everything, I have no choice but to leave for work abroad,” one young man from Helmand told Afghan Diaspora Network, requesting anonymity.

His story is echoed by many others: young men and women with degrees and skills but no prospects, caught in a cycle where hard-earned education translates into neither employment nor dignity.

The collapse of opportunities has turned irregular migration into a desperate escape. Residents say increasing numbers of youth are attempting perilous journeys across borders, relying on smugglers to reach neighboring countries or further afield. These routes carry immense risks — exploitation, arrest, even death — but for many families in Helmand, they have become the only perceived path to survival.

“Our problems grow worse day by day, but no one listens and no serious solutions are provided,” another resident said, voicing the frustration that echoes through villages and towns across the province.

The contrast with Helmand’s recent past is stark. Only a few years ago, the province offered a measure of economic stability, serving as a hub for farming, small industries, and trade. Today, locals insist that Taliban rule has shuttered opportunity, strangled investment, and worsened conditions for ordinary families. What was once a land of possibility has turned into a place where youth see no future at home.

For those left behind, life is defined by shrinking incomes and soaring prices of basic goods. Families are cutting meals, pulling children out of school, and selling what little they own just to survive. The sense of despair is deepening, with many Helmandis saying that the economic crisis has become as suffocating as any armed conflict of the past.

Despite these hardships, residents still voice demands for action. They call on both the authorities and international organizations to address their plight with more than empty promises. Local people stress that what Helmand needs is not speeches but concrete job-creating projects that can restore dignity and provide alternatives to dangerous migration.

The stakes are high. Helmand’s history is marked by wars that reshaped Afghanistan, but its current war against poverty threatens to hollow out an entire generation. The exodus of educated youth and workers not only robs families of their brightest hopes but also undermines the province’s long-term stability.

For Helmandis, the message is clear: without urgent attention, the crisis of unemployment and poverty will inflict wounds as lasting as any foreign invasion. The province that once symbolized defiance against empires now struggles to hold onto its people — a battle that may define its future more than any fought on its battlefields.

Ghulam Habib Nusrat is a journalist based in Southern provinces of Afghanistan. 

Note: The contents of the article are of sole responsibility of the author. Afghan Diaspora Network will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in the articles.