UK in Afghanistan

A guest blog by Belinda Lewis, Director Rule of Law and Operations at the PRT, about her day spent helping out in the Lashkar Gah cookhouse. The other week I spent my day off wielding knives and piping icing sugar roses in the Lashkar Gah cookhouse. I love cooking so it was a real treat […]

To listen to some commentators, you might easily gain the impression that no progress has been or can made in Helmand, and as soon as Britain and its Nato allies hand over full responsibility to Afghan institutions, it will collapse back into the violent fundamentalism of the 1990s. In fact, we are increasingly confident that […]

For four days in early December over 6200 elders and notables from across Nawa District in Helmand made their way to register for the upcoming District Community Council (DCC) election. These DCC’s only occur in Helmand. It is the only province across Afghanistan where its citizens have the option to vote for a district representative […]

As part of my guest blogger series I have invited the PRT’s Deputy Director of Operations, Andrew Collingwood to blog about his time in Helmand. 

As part of my guest blogger series I have invited the departing Joint Head of the PRT Politics Team , Nick Baker to blog about the change in Governor to Helmand and his time in Lashkar Gah. Last month Governor Mangal was replaced.  This is the most significant political event in Helmand for the last four […]

Today I will be attending the Helmand Development Conference in Kabul. Helmand’s Governor, Gulab Mangal, and his team will paint a picture of the progress in Helmand and set out the opportunities for donors, NGOs and the private sector. There is no question that Helmand still has a branding challenge. The progress that has been […]

I have invited members of  the PRT to use my blog to talk about their work and experiences in Helmand. Shelley Groves the PRT’s new Female Police Advisor has kindly written about her first police training course. On arriving in Lashkar Gah to take on my role as the PRT’s new Female Police Advisor, my first […]

I have invited members of  the PRT to use my blog to talk about their work and experiences in Helmand. Anna Morris the former Head of the PRT’s Socio-Economic Development Team has kindly written about her time here. As I approach the end of my 16 months in Helmand questions from colleagues, friends and family […]