Residents of Sangin district in southern Helmand say years of war have left the area without basic education and healthcare services, with schools and clinics destroyed during fighting yet to be rebuilt.
Sangin was one of the main battlegrounds during Afghanistan’s previous conflict, and residents say the absence of schools, health facilities and proper roads continues to disrupt daily life and limit access to essential services.
“We want schools, roads and a hospital here. This is the demand of all residents of Sangin,” said a local resident, asking that authorities address long-standing infrastructure damage.
Students say the lack of facilities has also affected educational opportunities, particularly for girls. Roya, a university student from the district, said she hoped to become a doctor to serve women in her community, but restrictions on girls’ education beyond grade six have made her ambitions increasingly difficult.
“I want to become a doctor and work for women,” she said.
Residents warned that prolonged deprivation of education and healthcare threatens the future of children and young people in the district and called for urgent reconstruction of schools, clinics and damaged roads.
Afghanistan’s healthcare and education systems have been weakened by decades of conflict, aid cuts and economic hardship, with rural districts among the most affected.
