Reg (Khanashin) District is situated in the southeastern part of
Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
along the
Helmand River
The Helmand River (also spelled Helmend, or Helmund, Hirmand; Pashto/ Persian: ; Greek: ' (''Etýmandros''); Latin: ') is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primary watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin. It emerges in the Sanglak ...
on its western bank. The population is 25,600 (80%
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
Khanashin
Khanashin, or Khan Neshin, (other names: Khān Neshīn, Khannesin, Khan Nashin, Khān Nashīn, Khan Nashim, Khānnešīn) is a village located in the Reg District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan at at 642 altitude. It is close to the Helmand Ri ...
.
The district is almost a desert and all the villages are along the Helmand River. The drought has extremely affected this district and its agriculture is ruined. The unemployment rate is 80%.
Agriculture
Actually, the district is known as the "Green Zone" due to its abundance of vegetation. Due to irrigation controlled by the
Helmand River
The Helmand River (also spelled Helmend, or Helmund, Hirmand; Pashto/ Persian: ; Greek: ' (''Etýmandros''); Latin: ') is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primary watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin. It emerges in the Sanglak ...
feeds into many canals that wind through the surrounding villages and bring water to this once desolate area, allowing local farmers to grow crops ranging from corn, okra, wheat, poppy, and marijuana. The unemployment rate is below 20% due to the surge in American troops in the region, bringing much needed safety and stability, allowing locals to move back into the area and re-open once flourishing business.
History
Reg District was, for much of the Afghan War, under Taliban control, until it was taken by
Operation Khanjar
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO ...
.
Natural Resources
Geologists also discovered rare earth minerals and niobium deposits in the Khanneshin area of Southern Helmand province with an estimated value of more than $89 billion