Following the liberation of Nawa district in the south of Lashkargah city, in Helmand province, from the Taliban earlier this week, local officials said on Wednesday that the district sustained extensive damage during the Taliban's occupation. 

Officials said government buildings had been largely burned down by the group. 

The district governor Mohammad Takra said the reconstruction of Nawa will cost millions of dollars.

“Why did you (Taliban) destroy roads, why did you destroy clinics, why did you destroy the district governor and (police) headquarters buildings? All of them cost millions of dollars to spend,” he said.

According to TOLOnews reporter Abdullah Hamim, the district governor’s two-storey office, has been heavily damaged by the Taliban.

“We will strive hard once again and will rebuild the district,” the district governor added. 

Meanwhile, a number of Nawa residents claimed that “all their properties and capital have been looted by the Taliban” during their nine months of rule in the district.
The residents called on government to help with the reconstruction of the district.

“The roads were destroyed by the Taliban. The Taliban destroyed public projects and bridges,” said Mohammad Saleem, a resident of Nawa. 

“The road was closed and people had to walk hours to take their patients to Lashkargah city,” said Nematulalh, a resident of the district. 

Government Media Information Center meanwhile said in a statement on Wednesday that schools and healthcare centers were re-opened in the district.

There was no public service and other opportunities in Nawa during the Taliban reign in the district, said a local official quoted in the statement.

Helmand Education Director Qudratullah Yaqubi said 32 schools were re-opened with the capacity of at least 22,000 students.  

Girls were banned from school by the Taliban, Yaqubi said, adding that now at least 50 special classes with the capacity of 30 students have been provided to girls in the district. 

Local residents had traveled many miles spending more than six hours to get to the capital as the main road was closed by the Taliban, the statement said.  

But now, the statement said, the Afghan forces have re-opened the main road to Lashkargah city which takes 20 minutes to get to the capital city.